AJ Williams
As commencement approaches and we seniors prepare to walk down College Street through the Van Wickle Gates, we’re starting to reflect on our time at Brown. Blog wants to spotlight a series of seniors in the next month; we’ll have two chains of senior interviews where members of the class of 2016 nominate each other to be featured on the site. (We ask that our interviewees pick someone they might not know too well, but want to hear from about their time at Brown!) Now up, AJ Williams.You might know me as… That one black girl who you never knew was a person until she came out as trans! Also Khari Jackson's twin.When I’m at Brown, you can find me at...SPEC events (like carnival!), UFB meetings, and at Andrews desperately wishing that a freshman would buy me pho.My Brown experience in six words.Confusing, Uncertain, Arduous, Problematic, Transformative, Invaluable.Favorite class/professor at BrownAnything by Patrick Sylvain. He's basically the whole CROL department, teaching Haitian Creole as well as a course on Haiti's history. I was in at least one class each semester this year just because of the incredible environment he creates in each of his classes: he's warm, friendly, and has tons of knowledge and life experience to share.Things I wish I knew when I came to BrownIt's okay to take breaks. It’s okay to ask for help. It's even okay not to finish. Not everyone has the same college track; don't let anyone let you feel inferior just because they can take on more work than you can at the moment.My favorite Brown memory is… It probably wasn't at Brown, but on a spring break trip to a friend's house in Maine. At one point we all sat (drunkenly) around a table and told everyone how much we meant to each other, what we love about each other, and how important we all are. It was such an essential act that all friends should do: take the time to affirm one another's importance.My most embarrassing Brown memory is… Oh GOD. My whole freshman year aside, there was one time over the summer after sophomore year where I was at a party off campus. I was wearing a RISD shirt and two RISD students came up to me and asked if I went there. And I said yes for some dumb reason. They started asking me questions like where did I live, what classes I was taking, and eventually I just had to run away cause there was no way out of it!What I will miss most here next year is… The people, hands down. Having so many incredible, passionate, and driven people accessible to me. I'm going to miss all of my friends so much!My go-to order in the Blue Room is..A butter rum muffin!!In my time at Brown, I am most proud of… Just finishing tbh. Mental illness took a very large toll on me and honestly I wasn’t sure if I would make it out. Although even if I didn’t finish, I would still be incredibly proud of myself for coming this far and enduring what I’ve had to endure.Brown’s best kept secret? The greenhouse on top of BERT is SO slept on! It's my favorite place on campus because it reminds me of my mother; she loves plants and always keeps our house full of them.My post-graduation plans are to...I'm thinking about eventually going back into academia and maybe getting a higher degree, so I want to be a full time research assistant to see if research is really for me. I also just want to go back to the West Coast!What is the most important thing you learned while at Brown? (Frances' question)Who I was and how to love myself. When I got to Brown, I was a mess. I was an extremely nervous, sheltered kid from a small town in California with controlling, religious parents. I had no idea who I was or how much happier I could be. Now, however, I'm confident in who I am—in my blackness, in my transness, in my bisexuality — and that allows me to navigate spaces with more conviction. None of my growth could have been possible if I hadn’t made the decision to love every inch of my being—even the parts that scared others as well as myself.Next up: Jessica BrownQuestion for Jessica: How has your experience at Brown changed you for the better?