Montae'l Williams is a 2019 ASMSA graduate. He is a senior studying English and Pre-Law at Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Miss. He also serves as a member of the Holly Grove City Council and is an officer candidate in the Army National Guard.
Q: What profession or careers are you considering?
A: As I am currently an officer candidate in the Arkansas Army National Guard, I am definitely working towards becoming an officer and continuing my service for several decades. However, I am also interested in practicing law in hopes of specifically becoming a JAG officer. Furthermore, I aspire to one day branch into politics on a national level, in service to my state or my country. Most of all, I aspire to be a fulltime change agent for the underrepresented.
Q: What was the biggest motivating factor in your decision to attend ASMSA?
A: The biggest motivating factor for my decision to attend ASMSA was the access to adequate education, resources and networking opportunities. Prior to my matriculation through ASMSA, I went to school in the Delta region of Arkansas, which is one of the poorest regions in the country. As such, the education I received in the region heavily reflected the lack of resources. While I did make efforts to change this, I acknowledged that such change wouldn’t occur as fast as I had liked and decided to go to ASMSA instead.
Q: Many young people have a disdain for politics. How can we change that?
A: I believe that a lot of younger people have disdain for politics because they may not know much about it, or what they are familiar with is the mudslinging and dishonesty that candidates often employ to win favor. I think that we change this by not sitting on the sidelines and waiting for things to get better. I believe that we should take up the torch that those before us have laid down.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
A: The best piece of advice that I’ve been given was from a phenomenal counselor who did everything in her power to ensure I was equipped and prepared for college and the real world. Ms. Penny Lock was my guidance counselor during my time at ASMSA and encouraged me to never give up. I would not be where I am today, if it were not for all her kind words and encouragement.