Made it ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½: Bekiredamaje Williams
Despite fielding several out-of-state offers due to her speed and success on the track, Bekiredamaje Williams decided to continue the legacy of her parents and siblings by staying in Decatur, Ill., to attend ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ University. Initially, Bekiredamaje, who goes by Bekire, hoped to land at a school that was both away from home, but not too far. As she continued her college search, Bekire listened more to her family members who recommended that ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ was the perfect place.
"My parents are alumni and so are my siblings, and I ended up choosing ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ because of them," Williams said, and while she was hesitant about staying so close to home at first, having her family nearby soon became a benefit of attending ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½. Bekire discovered that visits from her family helped with her college experience because of the support she received for her academics, athletics and mental health.
Bekire chose to live on-campus at ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½, and that decision has helped her gain independence and eased her adjustment to college life. "I believe the college experience depends on living independently," she said.
Another aspect of on-campus living that Bekire values is the opportunity to meet a wide range of different people. She noted, "you'll get to know people from all over the United States, or even all over the world." Meeting people from around the globe might not be what comes to mind for most when they think of small-town Decatur, but Bekire said that she appreciates the diversity present in ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½'s close-knit community.
While at ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½, Bekire has been able to grow and find herself as an individual while carrying on the legacy of her parents and siblings. Her family's influence shines through in her involvement with track and field, which her brother competed in while at ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½, and the Black Student Union. Bekire's older sister was an advocate for multicultural voices across campus, and Bekire hopes to continue that work.
Even though it was her family's influence that largely helped Bekire decide on ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½, she has made a ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ Experience that is entirely her own.
