Renee Williams' journey began when she and her two siblings were left on the steps of an orphanage in the late 1970s. Despite the challenges she faced growing up, Williams was determined to pursue higher education. Her quest to find her biological mom led her to the Appalachian Highlands and eventually to East Tennessee State University, where she began her journey as a first-generation college student.
But there are times life does not go as planned.
Williams left ETSU in 1999 without completing her degree, but in 2021 — more than 20 years later — she returned intent on finishing what she had started.
Williams became a trailblazer for her two sons by paving a foundation for their future success. She and her husband were determined to provide their sons with a bright future.
Williams credits her desire to push her children toward higher education to her adopted parents, who were sharecroppers from Alabama. She said they always encouraged their children to be more and do more.
Williams' sons now attend ETSU and are being mentored by Laura Terry, just as Williams was. Terry has dedicated more than three decades to supporting student success and building relationships among faculty, staff and students at ETSU. Williams credits Terry’s commitment as a pivotal support system for her academic journey.
“When I returned to ETSU, I was thrilled that Ms. Terry was still here. She supported me as I completed my degree, but she has also embraced another generation – my sons – as they achieve their degrees,” said Williams.
As a first-generation college student, Williams encourages others not to give up. She wants students to know that ETSU has a supportive community that wants to help them achieve their dreams.
“For me, ETSU is not just a university; it's a symbol of hope and opportunity. It's a place where dreams come true.”
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Transcript of video
Renee Williams:
My desire
to push them toward higher education
came from my adopted
parents, who pushed us.They had a second grade education.
They were sharecroppers from Alabama,
so they always pushed us to be more
and do more.And I think I got that foundation
from them.
I continue that with our sons
and my husband, who is in education.We were big on education
and we wanted the boys to have more
and have a brighter future.They are excited about ETSU.
They are involved in athletics here at
ETSU and it's a really good fit for them.One of my mentors was Mrs.
Laura Terry.
I had a really good personal relationship
with her.When I returned to ETSU,
I learned that Mrs.
Terry was still here
and I was pleasantly surprised.I reached out to her
for me to return to school,
and then, as my sons entered ETSU,
I was like, this is the
person you need to speak with.She is very natural with them.
She's still mentoring students
and it's amazing to see
that even 30 years later,
she remembers me.She has embraced
me and me completing my degree,
but also has embraced another generation,
which is my sons,
to complete their degree as well.If you are a first generation
college student,
I would definitely encourage
you to not give up.To always put God first
and just know that you have a university
and staff members here
that are always willing to help