he was very active in the mass media department . He had natural leadership skills , excellent interpersonal skills , was intellectually engaged , and did very well in our theory courses which led me to believe he would be more than an on-air talent .”
Taylor said he and his wife , Trish , decided early not to have children and as a college professor , he would “ adopt ” many students as his children and watch their success through college .
“ I do not know anyone who did not like Tevin . He has been active in the betterment of people and has always had a good way of putting others before himself .”
Taylor and his wife had dinner with Williams on their visit to New York where they learned of his new career path .
Taylor said , “ I am super proud of him and being able to stay in touch throughout the years to celebrate that moment and being able to see him succeed is rewarding .
“ This highlights another VSU grad that is doing very well at a young age , he ’ s gone a long way in a short time and it is a real good credit to mass media graduates who are often overlooked ,” Taylor added . “ Tevin ’ s story points up that mass media is more than just on-air talents but his degree gave him the background in communication .”
Williams began at VSU with the hope of one day being a news anchor . Following graduation , he attended Stetson University in DeLand , Florida , to obtain a master of business administration but halfway through he was fueled by his dream to serve others .
Tevin Williams was the cook and coordinator for the first fish fry at his parish , St . Charles of Borromeo , in April .
“ I loved working with the community to find stories while at Valdosta State and I wanted to be able to blend my love of storytelling and community service so I was prompted to move to New York to get into public service ,” he said .
Williams arrived in New York with a job lined up at the YMCA and interviews lined up at multiple state senators offices .
“ I am a product of Thomasville YMCA and it was and still is in my heart between all three states I ’ ve lived in because it was such an integral part of my childhood .”
Williams was chosen by Hoylman for his hard work and dedication to service . He is one of the youngest and the only Black and queer male in his office with a Valdosta State degree among the sea of Harvard , Columbia , Yale and other prestigious university degrees .
“ It is an incredible feeling to be able to follow the stories and make changes in public policy ,” Williams said . “ I still am in media and I use my fine arts degree every day in the office and engage with the community .”
This past summer Williams took a leave of absence to work on Congressman Dan Goldman ’ s Congressional race , where he was a senior member of his campaign team serving as political director . He will be starting a new position with Goldman as director of community and external affairs based in NYC .
Williams thanked his TCC high school teacher Randy Young and VSU mass media professors Dr . Nicole Cox , Jason Brown , Frank Barnas ( retired ), Greg Brown ( retired ), and Taylor for their dedication to seeing him succeed .
“ I came from an incredible village that truly poured into me . I encourage anyone to do whatever you are passionate about because if you have that drive and mindset , it ’ s going to carry you much farther than others ,” he said .
“ We all come from so many backgrounds and I want to be that representative to the other ‘ Tevin Williams ’ out there . Serve your community and be a good representative of where you came from .”
February 2023 | Valdosta Scene 31