by Grace Kertz

Northeast News welcomes summer intern Erin William, a high school graduate of Pembroke Hill.
Come fall, William will study International Relations at Princeton University in New Jersey. William has a variety of academic interests ranging from legal and international affairs to biology and environmental sciences.

William grew up in Olathe, Kan., and wrote a senior capstone project on the Historic Northeast Kansas City region.

“I found it very fascinating that there’s so much diversity [in the Northeast] and you don’t have to go very far to find it,” William said. “I think I’ve always grown up with the idea that I’ll only find diversity if I go abroad or if I take a trip to visit my family in Kenya. So it was very nice to see that there are people from all walks of life here.”

Interacting with various cultures and people is central to who William is.

In the past, she’s gone on international service trips, and in high school she co-founded an international social justice program.

One of her favorite events from the organization was a series “that was bilingual with students from Mexico, where we taught [social justice lessons] to them in the little Spanish we knew, and then they [taught sessions] in the little English they knew,” she explained. William was also on her school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, and she helped build the fundamentals for that group.

William was involved in other high school extracurriculars ranging from sports like swimming, track and cross-country to Poetry Out Loud competitions. Connecting with others has always been an integral part of her.

“I wouldn’t have run miles if it wasn’t for the people I was running with,” William remarked.

Outside of school, William enjoys early-morning walks with friends, binging TV shows and baking. You might catch her whipping up lemon bars or matcha brownies and watching “Jane the Virgin” in her freetime.

In Kansas City, William loves driving downtown, soaking up the ambiance at Messenger Coffee and experiencing community events, such as the Chief’s parade. Being involved in school and throughout the city has made her proud to be from here. William expressed that she’s “falling more and more in love with the city.”

Northeast News is eager to collaborate with William and see her contributions as she continues to connect with the Northeast and throughout Kansas City.