Former NCADD student continuing success at Harvard Shantell Williams knows the value of a strong support system and is a shining example of how far a person can go with the right people behind them. Williams entered NCADD’s S.T.E.P.S. program, or Strong Teens Excelling in Prevention Services, when she was in eighth grade. She says she quickly formed relationships with staff and students that went beyond friendship, to family.
“I think one of the greatest opportunities was being able to connect to people who had similar mindsets to mine,”Williams says. “Just having that community of people is something I can’t thank them enough for.” Williams says she could call on her S.T.E.P.S. family, and still does, whenever she needed help. But the program went beyond a social system. Williams says the tutoring and prevention services provided by S.T.E.P.S. allowed her to stay focused on her education. She was also involved in the program’s radio station, creating content and co-hosting the weekly show. Williams says S.T.E.P.S. offered opportunities and experiences like arts classes and summer internships that helped prepare her for her future success. “S.T.E.P.S. was able to, at a very young age, expose me to different opportunities and different ways of thinking, different backgrounds and different ways of living,”Williams says. “It teaches you to be really hands-on in determining your future and not letting circumstances be the determining factor in your life.”
“It teaches you to be really hands-on in determining your future and not letting circumstances be the determining factor in your life.” - Shantell Williams, S.T.E.P.S. program alumna
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