WSUAA Board Secretary Mary Jenkins-Williams '97, '03
Mary Jenkins Williams, Ed.D, credits her experience and training from Wayne State University for her success in helping to change the narrative for students in Detroit Public Schools.
With a master of arts in teaching and an educational specialist degree in school administration from Wayne, Williams spent many years teaching in the classroom before becoming an instructional coach. In 2015 she was appointed director of professional development and teacher training for the Education Achievement Authority. In that role, her efforts resulted in the transformation of some of the lowest performing schools in the State of Michigan as they saw increasing graduation rates and student academic achievement levels. She now serves as an assistant principal in the Wayne - Westland Community School District and continues to work as a consultant.
"The university has made a difference in not only my life but, also in the lives of my family. I am a first-generation college student. By setting that example and being a role model, my family has been able to see what is possible with hard work and determination. Four of my five sisters, my three children, and most of my 19 nieces and nephews have gone to college and graduated," she says proudly. "I continue to encourage family, friends, and students to attend Wayne State. Wayne State is a premier university where students can receive a quality education."
Currently, she is in her second year of serving as the secretary of the WSU Alumni Association Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Organization of Black Alumni planning committee.
"I participate in these organizations because I am a proud product of Wayne State," she says. "I love that the alumni board is comprised of a committed group of individuals with a strategic plan to increase alumni participation and networking."
Just as she served as a role model to her family by attending college, she now hopes that her volunteer service will inspire others to give back to students.
"It is vitally important that students see successful adults who look like them. This is a call for action for our alumni to give back to the students at Wayne State University. We need mentors, role models, speakers, volunteers etc. Everyone can do something. Remember education is a powerful agent of change. It changed my life and that of my family."