Elevate: Ienity Williams

March 15, 2023 00:16:41
Elevate: Ienity Williams
Elevate
Elevate: Ienity Williams

Mar 15 2023 | 00:16:41

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Show Notes

Host Timothy Webb sits down with National Park College student Ienity Williams to discuss her journey to becoming a Nighthawk.

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Episode Transcript

Timothy Webb: Thank you all for joining us today here on Elevate, broadcasting from the Razorback Camper Sales Studio. This National Park College podcast highlights a different nighthawk with each episode. We'll talk about their journey, challenges, key moments of success, their moments of elevation, leveling up, and overcoming. I'm Timothy Webb, your host, and I'd like to welcome to the program Ienity Williams. Thanks so much for joining me today. Ienity Williams: Glad to be here. Timothy Webb: So Ienity, tell us a little bit about yourself. Ienity Williams: I'm a student here at National Park. I'm also an RA. I'm originally from Hot Springs, but I graduated from a school called Two Rivers in a small town called Ola, Arkansas. I wanted to come back, so I decided to come to NPC and it's just been a really good experience. I am a psychology major here and I hope to be a psychiatrist whenever I'm finished with it all. Timothy Webb: Oh, that's cool. So RA, what is that position? What does that stand for? Ienity Williams: So an RA, it stands for a resident assistant. When people hear of an RA, they think it's just a student that helps assist with the dorms, maybe just does room checks. It's much more than that. We try to host events to make sure the students feel involved, not just on campus, but in the halls. Although it is those room checks and making calls and stuff like that, it's also making sure that the students feel welcome. A lot of students, we have some from out of the country, out of the state, so we just want to make it feel like home for them here at NPC. Timothy Webb: Yeah, yeah. You assist at the residence. So you're assisting in the dorms, basically? Ienity Williams: Yes, sir. Timothy Webb: Wow. Wow, the things you must have seen, huh? Ienity Williams: For sure, yeah. Timothy Webb: So psychology, Ienity, why that field? Ienity Williams: Ever since I was younger, I've always thought mental health was super important. And I wanted to find a way that I can, maybe even if it's just small, make some type of a difference. Then I've also been very interested in how the mind works, so I was researching. And when I was little, I wanted to be a lawyer for some reason. But as I got older, I was like, "That is not for me." So I decided to go the psychology route, try to learn more about how to advocate for mental health, but also learn how the mind works and the body. Timothy Webb: Yeah, yeah. That is interesting, isn't it? Ienity Williams: Yeah. It's very, very. Timothy Webb: Because the mind is the one thing that's physical, but also kind of not. Ienity Williams: Yeah. Timothy Webb: Right? Ienity Williams: Yeah, yeah. It's very interesting to learn about. Timothy Webb: We're going to get into philosophy here if we keep going down this road. Ienity Williams: Yeah, let's not do that. Timothy Webb: Yeah. So how long have you been at NPC? Ienity Williams: This is just my second semester here at National Park, actually. I'm a freshman. Timothy Webb: Oh, okay. So what are some of the challenges that you've faced to get here? Ienity Williams: I feel like the biggest challenge for me was just growing up with a single mother, basically, and also in a family where no one has been to college except my mother. And so that made it really hard for me, and I just dealt with a lot of pressure. If I do go to college, how am I going to pay for it? I don't want my mother to have to pay for it. So yeah, just basically dealing with that and trying to balance it all out to get here. Timothy Webb: Right, right. And how did it feel once you got here? Ienity Williams: It felt really great, actually. I was torn between where to go to school, but I applied for scholarships here and I actually received a President's Scholarship. And so that helped me a lot and I was like, "Yeah, I think I'll give it a try." And I've actually really loved it here. Timothy Webb: That's great. Yeah, those scholarships really help. Ienity Williams: Yeah, for sure. Especially having a single mom, taking all that pressure off of her. Timothy Webb: Right. So Ienity, you're an RA and you're also a college student here. Is there any myths that you'd like to clear up for our audience about those two positions? Ienity Williams: Probably, like I mentioned before, the biggest thing with an RA is just thinking it's just those room checks and it's all business, serious, when it's really not. Yeah, there are serious parts to it and there is a certain way you have to do your job, but I've also been very fortunate to have bosses who make it not only a job, but it's somewhere that I could go to have fun. I know I can go to them for anything and I know that I won't have to go to work dreading it. It's always something I enjoy. So it's really a super good experience. Timothy Webb: Well, good, good. Have you learned any lessons from that position? Ienity Williams: I think it opened my eyes to some things a little bit, especially how to put myself out there, which I didn't really do the first semester. And not really a lesson, but it's been better now that I have put myself out there, because if you don't do that, you're really not going to get anything from the experience at the dorms. So it's taught me how to put myself out there, make connections with the residents, and not only make it feel like home for them, but it's also made it feel like a home for me and opened me up to experience new opportunities with the people that I share a space with. Timothy Webb: Absolutely, yes. And I would say that is a lesson. Putting yourself out there, being yourself, being genuine and not holding back, and then networking with other people. Ienity Williams: Right, yeah. Timothy Webb: All skills you're going to use through life, without a doubt. Ienity Williams: Yeah. For sure, for sure. Yeah. Timothy Webb: So Ienity, what achievements in your short college life are you most proud of? Ienity Williams: Getting the President's Scholarship, that made me really proud. It took a huge burden off of me, off of my parents. I mentioned my mother a lot, but my father as well, he would have to help with that too. So that's a really big accomplishment for me. And also getting the RA position. It has helped even more, not even just financially, but it'll give me something to put on my future resume. I think that President's Scholarship and being able to get that RA position and keep it, those have been really two big accomplishments for me I'm very proud of. Timothy Webb: Absolutely. Yeah, because you already got a job on your resume now. Ienity Williams: Yeah. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Ienity Williams: Yep. Timothy Webb: So Ienity, where did you grow up and what was it like there? Ienity Williams: I grew up here in Hot Springs, actually. When you grow up in Hot Springs, I don't think that you really realize how much there is here. It feels like the same stuff over and over again. We grew up going to the skating rink downtown, the movies. But when I left, I moved to a town called Ola, where there's absolutely nothing, which is part of why I came back. I was 13, a preteen. So growing up there, there wasn't much to do. You go to school, you go to practice, you go to Sonic. There's a Dollar General and gas stations, get some chicken after school. But that's about it. So I grew up here, and then I went to a real small town, so it was a really big change for me. Timothy Webb: Yeah. That is a very big difference. How many people are in Ola? Ienity Williams: I want to say the population is definitely less than a thousand. Timothy Webb: Wow, yeah. Ienity Williams: Maybe 700. Timothy Webb: That's pretty small. Ienity Williams: Yeah. Timothy Webb: So can you tell us about an influential person and how they impacted your life? Ienity Williams: There have been so many influential people in my life. But if I had to say anybody, it'd probably be my mom. She's been a single mother. She's always made sure me and my sister were very well taken care of. She did go to college, but she didn't go until later just so that she could take care of me and my sister while we were growing up. And it just shows how you can persevere through stuff. I look up to her each and every day, and I know that I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have to see what she went through to motivate me. Timothy Webb: So is there any favorite childhood memories you'd like to share with our audience? Ienity Williams: So my dad actually, he loved getting us little toys when we were younger, so he'd get me and my sister a four-wheeler or a go-kart. But I remember one Christmas, me and my sister got four-wheelers and they were pink and camouflage. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Ienity Williams: And that was truly something looking back at it. But me and my sister decided that we'd go for a ride and we shared one. So we'd take it around a block. And I'm driving and my sister's like, "I want to drive." So I'm like, "Okay." And mind you, we're really young. So I let her drive. We go around another block and I'm like, "Oh my Lord, this was a bad idea." We get probably about 50 feet from our destination, and she decides that she wants to run us into a tree. Timothy Webb: Oh my God. Ienity Williams: So she wrecked that four-wheeler. And so we had mine and we were sharing that one until the other one got fixed. But needless to say, those toys that my dad brought, she did not drive again. I was the driver then and I still am now. Timothy Webb: So you don't let her drive you around anymore? Ienity Williams: Absolutely not. No. No. Timothy Webb: So you're the older sister, right? Ienity Williams: I am. Yes, sir. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Well, all those younger siblings, they're hard to keep in line. Ienity Williams: Are you an older sibling? Timothy Webb: Yes, yes. Yep. Ienity Williams: Oh, yep. Then you know. Timothy Webb: I know all about it. So Ienity, if you could give yourself, your younger self, any piece of advice, what would it be? Ienity Williams: Definitely I would tell my younger self it is not going to be like this forever. I had a really hard life growing up and I didn't think that it would change. I was also young and I didn't really understand why things were happening. But from then till now, it's been such a 360. And when I was younger, I did not think it would be that way. So I would just tell myself, "Hang in there. It's not going to be like that forever. You'll be able to go to college and pursue your dreams and goals and make a life for yourself." Timothy Webb: Yeah, things change awful fast in life, don't they? Ienity Williams: Yeah, very fast. Timothy Webb: We don't realize it when we're so young and little. Ienity Williams: No, no. Sure do once you grow up, though. Timothy Webb: Yeah. It seems to go faster and faster. I often think about you know how when you were in school, in elementary school, and you'd be waiting for Christmas or whatever to come around? Ienity Williams: Yeah. Timothy Webb: And it seemed like it took forever. Or summer break to come back around. Ienity Williams: Oh, yeah. Even when you were in grade school and you were like, "Oh, I can't wait to graduate." And then you graduate and you're like, "Oh my gosh, I wish I was in high school again." Yeah. Timothy Webb: It flies by. Ienity Williams: It definitely does. Timothy Webb: So what is it that brought you to National Park College? Ienity Williams: Like I said, I grew up here. And I was thinking about either here or the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. And I was like, "My whole family lives in Hot Springs, I have a lot of friends there. It would just be more comfortable for me." But I also was like, "Oh, I want to start fresh, get out of my comfort zone." So that would give me me an opportunity to do that if I went to [inaudible 00:10:56]. So I applied for both schools, got in, I applied for scholarships. And like I said, I received the President's one here. And it took a lot of thinking about, did I want to come here and have my college paid for, or did I want to go somewhere else just to get an experience? But I was like, "National Park is a two-year college, so I could go there and get maybe what I thought wouldn't be as good as an experience." But I'm so glad that I did choose to go to school here because it really has been such a good experience. I feel like the campus does a really good job at making the students feel welcome. There's literally always something to do here. And so it does give you that experience and does give you that opportunity to put yourself out there. So yeah, I'm really glad I chose to go to school here. Timothy Webb: Well, good. Yeah, we're glad you came. Ienity Williams: Thank you, thank you. Timothy Webb: And you're absolutely right. There's always events going on here at National Park. Ienity Williams: Yeah. Every time I turn around, I feel like there's some type of poster up that's like, "An event here this time, this day." And so it's just really for everybody. Timothy Webb: Yeah. So Ienity, other than National Park College and psychology and being an RA, what are some of your hobbies? Ienity Williams: In high school, I did play basketball, and so I like doing that. I'll go over to the gym and play with some of the players that are on the team here. I also really enjoy just driving around and seeing nature. I love to sing. I would love to learn to play the piano, so I think I'm going to try to pursue that as a hobby. I help in my church. I like doing that. Timothy Webb: Picking one of these specifically, what is it about basketball that drew you to it? Ienity Williams: Basketball has always been a really big sport in my family. My mom played basketball. So when I was younger, I tell you, I did not like it, and I kind of felt obligated to play. My mom would be like, "You're going to join the basketball team." And I'd be like, "Okay." So I started playing in seventh grade. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Ienity Williams: And I played at Hot Springs. And I really, really liked it, actually. I was being stubborn whenever she made me join, but I played it and I was like, "I think I could be good at this." And I had a coach who I really enjoyed. But when I moved schools, I played and it was really different from when I had experience, and it made me uncomfortable. And I was too young to really understand to get out of my comfort zone. So I did quit. I mean, that was in seventh grade, and I joined the team again in 10th grade. And in 10th grade, I absolutely fell in love with it. It didn't feel like just a sport to me. It felt like something that I was genuinely passionate about. Once you get that kind of love for it, it draws you to it and you don't want to let go. Timothy Webb: It's a great game. And I think it's the best team game. I've often said it's the best team game. Ienity Williams: I think so too. And it also gives you an opportunity to build relationships with people, your teammates, your coaches. And I still have relationships with those people. I graduated last year. I have former teammates who graduated two years ago. I have a teammate that went to Missouri Southern. She actually just won their conference championships. And I still have relationships with her. So it's such a great sport and there's so many benefits to it. Timothy Webb: Right, yeah. So if you could talk to anyone from the past, present, or future, who would it be and why? Ienity Williams: My Auntie Angie, who passed away four years ago. I feel like we didn't get enough time. And it was very unexpected. Whenever I was growing up, she was like a second mom to me. We were really close. And so if I could, I definitely would talk to her and just tell her how much I love her and I wish we had more time together, so yeah. Timothy Webb: Yeah. So Ienity, is there any advice, mottoes, or quotes that you live by that help guide you you'd like to share with our listeners? Ienity Williams: You're doing your best and your best is enough. I know a lot of people tend to get down on themselves. College can be very overwhelming, not just college, just life in general. So I say take things one day at a time. And what you're doing, you're doing your best, and that is enough. You don't have to try to go out of your way to be a certain way because you're enough. Either way, you are, so yeah. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Yeah, I like that. Yeah. Ienity Williams: Thank you. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Do your best and forget the rest. Ienity Williams: Yeah. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Ienity Williams: Yep. Timothy Webb: Ienity Williams, I want to thank you so much for joining me today on Elevate. I really appreciate it. Ienity Williams: No problem. I enjoyed being here. Timothy Webb: Yeah, thank you. And thanks to all of you for listening to Elevate today from the Razorback Camper Sales Studio. New episodes are released each Thursday. Special thanks to National Park College and the Sentinel-Record for making this podcast possible. Until next time, this is Timothy Webb reminding you that every day is a chance to elevate.

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