One of the things that was not difficult was that coming out of Williams I just had unbridled confidence. I definitely had a sense that this was a business where having relationships helped you and I had none of those, but it did not deter me in any way. I just said, “well I don’t have any so I’m just going to have to do this on my own.”
April King '04 lives in Sherman Oaks, CA and works in the entertainment industry as a talent agent. With her fierce confidence, she talks about the journey in the industry, coming from the Caribbean, and becoming a mom again during the pandemic.
There is something in all of the jobs out there and all of the paths out there and it’s so so so easy to get into the headspace of “but I went to X school, I should be doing more, I should be doing something else, I should be owning the company, I should be a CEO, I should be on the board, I should be doing all these other things. No. You should be doing what meets your base pyramid of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and bonus points if it brings you joy and puts a smile on your face.
Cynthia Sharpe '94 lives in Overland Park, KS. Her work focuses on storytelling and guest experiences (think designing theme parks) and she talks about her responsibility in the industry for supporting new voices and challenging old narratives. We also dive in to her community engagement work with local robotics and the importance of owning your own story.
Through a series of events, some of my own doing, some of not my own doing, this is where I landed and I think it’s a testament to the fact that we don’t know what we don’t know. If I keep a positive, optimistic outlook towards what comes next and an open-mindedness about what it might look like, your life can change dramatically for the better.
Jason Smith '91 moved out to Littleton, CO in early 2020 and got involved in work with the Denver Dumb Friends League as an adoption counselor. We chat about the challenges of following a traditional path versus pursuing one’s passions, the joy of making an adoption match, and keeping an open mind.
The grounding of the curriculum is probably the great strength of the Williams experience.
Don White '74 is a retired exploration geologist now residing in Manti, UT. We chat about his adventures in the field post-Williams, the importance of a rounded education, and sharing the outdoors with others who come through town.