Jeremiah Williams ŮٱƵ23 has always been a talker. Born in New Orleans and raised in the suburbs of Houston, Jeremiah has honed his skills as a public speaker right here in New York City, where heŮٱƵs studying political science and communication studies. ŮٱƵI realized at a young age that I was speaking up about things, challenging teachers when something didnŮٱƵt make sense,ŮٱƵ he recalls. ŮٱƵAnd that a lot of people werenŮٱƵt comfortable or able to do that.ŮٱƵ
While in high school, Jeremiah traveled the country as part of the speech and debate teams, but eventually his public speaking journey brought him to PaceŮٱƵs New York City Campus. His decision to come to Pace opened a door to a truly incredible opportunity: taking the podium to address one of the largest international groups in the world.
This fall, Jeremiah was selected as a youth speaker on behalf of Pace and the UniversityŮٱƵs Peace and Justice Studies Department to give a life-altering statement to the United Nations First Committee. He seized the moment to discuss youth engagement and peace, disarmament, and non-proliferation education. It takes courage to find yourself speaking in front of so many countries and non-political organizations, and Jeremiah had no lack of courage when his moment came. A voice for his peers, Jeremiah recognizes the power of speaking up when it counts.
ŮٱƵSometimes weŮٱƵre afraid to recognize the power of our voice, but I know the power of mine,ŮٱƵ says Jeremiah. ŮٱƵAnd when itŮٱƵs on behalf of a cause thatŮٱƵs important to me or a group of people that need to feel heard, I am more than comfortable using my voice for them. My voice isnŮٱƵt just mine.ŮٱƵ
Today, Jeremiah is trying to keep up with the opportunities in his path following his speech to the UN. He was recently invited to speak in a room filled with ambassadors and Heads of State, a place he wouldnŮٱƵt have dreamed of being at such a young age: ŮٱƵI had never thought IŮٱƵd be speaking to ambassadors at twentyŮٱƵIŮٱƵm still trying to figure out what subway line to take,ŮٱƵ he laughs.
ŮٱƵSometimes weŮٱƵre afraid to recognize the power of our voice, but I know the power of mine,ŮٱƵ says Jeremiah.
Along with pursuing these new experiences, Jeremiah is also the founding president of . His goal is to give people the tools to speak confidently and passionately about matters that they care about. ŮٱƵYou see a problem or an issue and youŮٱƵre surrounded by all of this noise, all of this news, but can you do anything about it? For me, IŮٱƵve always innately thought ŮٱƵyesŮٱƵ. A lot of people need to be shown that theyŮٱƵre voices are powerful or given the tools to make them feel powerful,ŮٱƵ he says.
Jeremiah hopes to help prepare young public speakers for the moments when the spotlight is suddenly on; the moments in which they will need to use their voice when they might not be expecting to do so. This is a challenge Jeremiah is quite excited to take head-on.
ŮٱƵLifeŮٱƵs crazy, and the moments come when youŮٱƵre not expecting them. Yet, here they are. People need to feel confident and powerful enough to know that their voice matters.ŮٱƵ
For 12 years, Pace has been supporting neurodiverse students and students on the autism spectrum through its Ongoing Academic Social Instructional Support (OASIS) program. This year, through initiatives from the President and ProvostŮٱƵs offices, OASIS has expanded its services to the Pace Community in Westchester.
School of Education student Guadalupe Ceja ŮٱƵ23 hasnŮٱƵt officially started teaching yet, but her own experiences in the classroom and her recent New York State scholarship win are putting her at the head of the class.
Marine Corps veteran Sukh Singh ŮٱƵ21 is passionate about advocacy and service. Through his work with the Student Veterans Association and Alpha Phi Delta, he hopes to one day become an educator just like the ones who inspired him.