Taking a Positive Lead

Kamille Williams, a senior orientation leader at the New York City campus, is friendly to all students and always has a positive attitude to share with her peers. The Box caught up with Williams to learn about her experiences as a student leader and her take-aways from her time at New York Tech.

Why did you choose to study at New York Institute of Technology?
I chose to study at New York Institute of Technology because I loved where it was located, and I was interested in their computer science program. While this was before I switched my major to psychology, I stayed because of the diversity on campus and the professors who really care about their students.

What does being an orientation leader mean to you?
Being an orientation leader means helping ease the transition between other environments to our environment at New York Tech. Whether the incoming students are freshmen, transfers, veterans, international students, they are all coming from an environment that is different than ours in some way. I am here to make that transition between environments as painless as possible. I want to make incoming students feel as welcome as I felt when I attended orientation.

What, in your opinion, makes New York Tech unique?
I think New York Tech is unique because of its ability to connect all of the diverse students it has in its different student populations. Students are here from all over the world, coming from so many different cultures and backgrounds but they all find commonalities and communities here at New York Tech. That can be through clubs, events, volunteer opportunities, and on-campus jobs, amongst other opportunities.

How do you think this leadership role will help prepare you for your future career?
I am studying to become a child therapist, and I think that this leadership role is helping me develop skills that I will definitely need to pursue that path. When working with children, the ability to be adaptable and flexible to any situation is essential; this is also the case with orientation since everything does not always go as planned, and you have to be ready to make quick changes on the fly. Those are just a few of the many skills that orientation has taught me.