WKU News

Graduating senior Danielle Williams never shied away from bold aspirations. From her first steps on the Hill, she used her time at WKU to prepare for a life of service, leadership and self-discovery.

Williams, a Psychological Science major from Goodlettsville, Tennessee, originally came to WKU for its criminology program, but the opportunities within the award-winning Forensics Team sealed the deal.

During her time with the team, Williams competed at the National Forensic Association (NFA) Championship Tournament and participated in campus events such as the Black Excellence Showcase and the Meet the Team showcase.

Williams said, "The [Forensics Team] experience taught me how to face adversity and be in community with people who think differently than I do."

Though she began her studies in Criminology, she changed her major to Psychological Science, eventually pairing it with minors in Community and Behavioral Health and Clinical Psychology.

Over the past four years, Williams has been deeply involved in campus life and research, blending her interest in the human mind with creating a stronger campus community.

In her role as an Honors Teaching Fellow for the HON 251: Citizen and Self course, Williams led a series of mental health workshops during the Fall 2024 semester in collaboration with peer teaching fellows Caden Lucas and Natalie Spiva.

“The workshops are designed to empower individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to take charge of their mental, emotional, and physical health, and to support others around them,” Williams shared.

Williams also described it as a deeply transformative role on a personal level. “I found my calling through being a part of the Mahurin Honors College and the phenomenal HON 251 Team,” she said, crediting faculty and fellow students with helping her through some of her toughest moments. “The love that I have for Professor Bohlander, Professor Sheffield, Natalie, Caden and the students has brought me out of some very dark places in my life.”

Another pillar of Williams’ college experience was Mount Zion Nashville’s Campus Ministries, where she served as president of the WKU campus chapter. “Mt. Zion taught me how to sow seeds and trust in God to be the author of my life,” she shared. “They fostered my dreams, growth and purpose even after I gave up my position as president.”

Williams’ passion for research also flourished at WKU. “Being an undergraduate research assistant in psychological sciences and applied human sciences helped me articulate what my true interests were and shape me into the person I am today,” she said. “The resources that I attained from being a part of these labs taught me how to pay it forward to other students.”

Yet, the most defining moment of Williams’ WKU journey came far from campus. Her study abroad trip to Tanzania with the Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS) changed her life. “This is the trip that showed me my purpose: helping underserved communities grow and get the care that they need,” Williams explained. “After being on the fence about going to medical school for nearly 5 years because of my feelings of inadequacy — this experience inspired me to commit and go into it with my full heart and mind.”

Inspired by the professionals she met there, Williams felt even more empowered to pursue her dreams. “Representation matters, and seeing the Black men and women doing what they love and living in their element — it drove me to do the same.”

After graduation, Williams plans to work as a full-time daycare teacher while earning her nursing degree. She then plans to move abroad to attend medical school in Africa to better serve the nonprofit organization she founded, which focuses on meeting the medical needs of the Montessori School and Orphanage in Tanzania.

“I am determined to be a multidisciplinary professional,” Williams said. “Even if I do not have all the answers all the time, I can still be the best doctor, teacher, psychologist, humanitarian, future mother and wife that I can be.”

Throughout her journey, Williams has consistently applied her classroom learning to her personal growth. “I have already applied what I am learning by being loving and gracious with myself,” she said. “My growth does not stop, and I have a long way to go to become the best version of myself, but I know for a fact that I am on the right path as I enter into a new era of my life.”

Williams will graduate summa cum laude from WKU with a Bachelor of Science in Psychological Science and a minor in Community and Behavioral Health.

Her advice to future Hilltoppers? “You have the power and strength to create your own legacy. Maybe you don’t fit in because you were meant to create your own space — the pen is yours, write your own story and make it GOOD.”

–

To learn more about the WKU Department of Psychological Sciences, visit https://www.wku.edu/psychological-sciences.

To learn more about the Mahurin Honors College at WKU, visit wku.edu/honors

#WKUGrad series: As part of our #WKUGrad series, articles on graduating students are shared in the weeks leading up to Commencement. See all of their stories at https://www.wku.edu/news/articles.