Tierra Williams

Tierra Williams is a senior in the University of Illinois at Chicago Nursing Program with a minor in Kinesiology. Her plans are to gain experience working with mothers and newborns in women’s health and eventually move into the neonatal intensive care unit. Ultimately she would like her higher education to include completion of a Doctor of Nursing Practice as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner to help improve health outcomes for infants and mothers in the community. She wants to later return to the University of Illinois at Chicago as faculty to teach undergraduates in both the academic and clinical environment.

Ms. Williams has been actively involved in the UIC Community and Urban Health Program (UHP) as a student organization chair, leader and staff member. She has helped organize, plan and prepare dozens of UHP events including the Urban Health Program Pre-Health Student conference for high school and elementary school students where she served as peer mentor for students interested in pursing nursing by giving guidance and academic advising.

Ms. Williams helped to establish a new organization for students entitled UHP Fitness Club which she served as President. She saw the need for more education about health, fitness and nutrition so she took the necessary steps to make a difference. She is an active member of the UHP Undergraduate Student Organization, UIC Student Nursing Association (UCONSA), and New Life Volunteer Society (NLVS).

A graduate of south suburban Argo High School, Ms. Williams was chosen as a President’s Award Program (PAP) Scholar at UIC based on her academic achievements. This month she was awarded the prestigious Martin Luther King Scholarship from UIC. This scholarship honors students who have demonstrated high academic achievement and a commitment to civil rights and social justice through community service. She has been awarded the Urban Health Program Student Achievement Award for her passion and commitment to academic service in the community and invaluable assistance with UHP mentoring events. She will be graduating in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and looks forward to taking boards and beginning her future career.