A Bright Future

First-year student Roosevelt Harris-Williams arrived at Colby-Sawyer hitting the ground running. Since his arrival, he has made the most of the opportunities he has been given and has numerous ambitious goals he hopes to accomplish.

Harris-Williams first visited Colby-Sawyer in the summer of 2019. The high school he attended, North Lawndale College Prep (NLCP) in Chicago, partners with CSC in a program called the Phoenix Pact (funded by the Hunter Foundation), to find strong academic candidates that might be interested in having a college experience outside of an urban setting. Growing up in Chicago, Harris-Williams was excited to visit campus during a Summit Scholars program prior to beginning college. He was immediately drawn to the school due to its scenery, friendly people and unlimited opportunities.

Vice President of Admissions and Financial Aid Anna Miner remembers meeting Harris-Williams during the event.

“Roosevelt was incredibly engaging and all smiles from the moment I met him. He was mesmerized and embraced the scenery and the program,” Miner said. “He followed up and reached out to thank us for the experience on campus and how excited he was to apply, following the summit. His spirit is so positive and his natural leadership continues to grow.”

When his first year of college came to a close, Harris-Williams had held the title of vice president of the Student Government Association, and had served as a peer mentor, advancement ambassador, orientation leader and member of the Presidential Blue Key Society.

This summer, Harris-Williams has been interning at his high school alma mater. His responsibilities include: performing research; donor communications and support for event planning and special projects. Harris-Williams said he is grateful for a grant he received from Colby-Sawyer that has allowed him to take on this internship.

“I am passionate about learning and growing, working and serving, and most importantly building authentic relationships with others,” he said.

Harris-Williams said his short-term goal is to become CEO of a charter high school on the west side of Chicago. But what is the long-term goal of this ambitious self-starter?

“My long term goal is to use my political science major and become President of the United States.”

One thing is for certain: Harris-Williams is off to a good start in achieving his lifetime goals.