Dexter Williams Class of 2007
Interview by Sean Beach. Story by Aneara Burns. Photo courtesy of The DC Line.
FPCS alumni don’t stop doing great things after graduation and Dexter Williams is no exception. Mr. Williams is a local politician who recently participated in the 2022 election for Ward 7 Committeeman. Tech Prep Alum, Sean Beach had the pleasure to sit down with Mr. Williams to discuss his experiences at Friendship as a student, as well as his career experiences in politics.
Sean: Tell us about your experience at Friendship.
Dexter: I actually transferred to Friendship when I was in the ninth or tenth grade. I was coming from a smaller Afrocentric private school, and Friendship really kind of set my academic career on fire. Friendship was a much larger school, I could network and there were more events. I was part of the Leadership Academy, which basically was similar to ROTC. It really boosted my confidence and taught me leadership skills that I still carry with me to this day. Frankly, if it wasn’t for Friendship, I'm not sure I would have been in college.
Sean: Why did you decide to go to college locally, instead of going out of state?
Dexter: I didn't. I've attended three colleges. My first college experience was at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville, Pennsylvania, and I did not like the culture there. Then I transferred to Old Dominion University, which is in Norfolk, Virginia. I didn't like it there either. That’s when I decided to come back home and go to Howard University. That was the best decision I ever made. I actually wrote an op-ed for the Hilltop newspaper about it. I was involved in student government. Howard, as you might have heard, is a very special place. It helped to have professors who looked like me, and understood where I was coming from to help me with my academic and career growth.
Sean: What actually led you to becoming a politician?
Dexter: I think all of us are politicians in our own right. For me, I blame my mom, because when I was younger, she would have me go to advisory neighborhood commission meetings with her. I think from a very young age, I was always ingrained in the political and community service process, which is one reason why I ran for student government at Howard, because I always wanted to help people and I always wanted to make people's lives better. When I graduated from college, I always had this burning desire to help people. I always found jobs that were closely related to that. My first job out of college was working for Senator Ben Cardin in the state of Maryland working with constituents. I worked for nonprofits, and I even worked at my alma mater, Howard University. And that eventually led me to work at the DC council as a policy staff member. That's when I really got to create programs and policies that had an impact on people's lives. I got into politics because I felt like I had something to offer, so I put myself out there.
Sean: What was it like working with Senator Ben Cardin and how did it prepare you to become a politician?
Dexter: He's a really, really cool guy. Working for him was when I realized that people really need help. I was the person getting all the phone calls, and people were complaining about, you know, trees falling over or this issue with this agency, or whatever the case was. I was a frontline person getting all the complaints. It made me realize how fortunate I was, and it was good preparation, because you get it from the ground up. That experience really, really informed how I do things even today.
Sean: What does public service mean and look like to you?
Dexter: In short, public service is any type of act that, in my mind, is selfless, when you are doing it for the benefit of the public. Whether it's picking up trash, running for office or volunteering at your local nonprofit, the act of giving back to others is a public service, no matter how big or small it is.
Sean: What has been your greatest achievement?
Dexter: One of the achievements I'm really proud of is the Congressional Fellowship Program that I created when I was at Howard University. I was working in government relations when a number of our students wanted to intern on Capitol Hill. But, as you know, you don't get paid on Capitol Hill, and our students couldn't afford to work for free. We created the Capitol Hill Fellowship Program, and we provided funding for these students to help them build a policy career. The program is still running and I'm just happy I was able to play a small part in student development.
Sean: What advice would you give our current students at Friendship Public Charter Schools, who may have an interest in politics?
Dexter: I always say go for it. Don't be afraid. Don't pay attention to what anyone says, you know, you control your own destiny, don't be afraid to be open minded. Life is a journey. But for those students who really know what they want to do and want to go into politics: volunteer for local campaigns, go to an ANC meeting in your community, visit your local council member and ask them what it's like, start building those community relationships now. Politics can be a very hard business, because that's just the nature of politics, but if you're passionate about helping people, you can't let any of that stop you.
Aneara Burns is the FNN Alumni Editor and a sophomore at Arizona State University.