Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Williamson.
Hi Kim, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Corpus Christi, TX with my parents, Billy and Angie, and my two sisters, Jennifer and Stephanie. I began college in 2002 at McMurry University in Abilene, TX and received my Bachelor of Business Administration in 2007. I moved to the Houston area and began my teaching career at Ross. S. Sterling High School in Baytown. After two years, I moved to Dickinson High School and spent the next 1o years teaching an array of subjects, with seven of those years teaching AVID, a college prep class. In April of 2015, I married my husband, Shawn, on the Strand in Galveston. While only being married now for seven years, we have been together for seventeen years. We currently reside in Kemah and have two children: our daughter, Brynn, is four years old and our son, Owen, is to years old. My husband is an attorney at Waldron & Schneider Attorneys at Law where he practices civil litigation.
My last year teaching was the 2019- 2020 school year, in which I was teaching the AVID class that piloted a new program called Higher Up Texas. Immediately, I knew this program had added value to my students’ lives. It taught them life skills, a set of core values and gave them opportunities to hear life and career stories from industry experts, each with their own unique experiences. With the program being in its infancy, I knew I wanted to continue growing with it.
As COVID quickly took over the world, I was to deliver my second child in May of 2020. It was a tough decision, but with the uncertainty of what public education would look like during the COVID era, I decided to take a step back from teaching and became a stay at home mom to my children.
In November of 2020, the Executive Director of Higher Up Texas offered me a part-time position within the organization to work with the HUT students that were going to school online. The next semester, all students were back on campus and I began facilitating one of the HUT classes for 2 hours a week. After finishing up the school year, I began an in-depth, second Phase of Higher Up Texas. This phase of HUT would offer post-high school support as our members transitioned into adulthood. Through monthly workshops, 1:on:1 sessions, job applications, college research and applications, scholarship and FAFSA assistance, mentorships, community outreach, mental health resources, networking, life advice, and so much more, Higher Up Texas Phase 2 has become a thriving community full of wonderful young adults who help shape this organization.
This is my second year as a HUT employee but I am happy that I have been with this organization since its conception. I love the incredibly supportive Higher Up Texas Board of Directors and staff that I get to work with and all of the different young adults I get to help navigate this new stage of life. It is truly rewarding and fulfilling work and I am grateful to get to be a part of something so special.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I feel very fortunate that the road to where I am today has been fairly smooth. One of the biggest challenges I have had was making sure I always had the capacity to support my students and Higher Up Texas members in all the ways needed. It is a personal struggle of mine not to ask for help and so, on occasion, I feel I am unable to assist in all the ways I should be able to in my personal and professional life. A skill I have learned while working for Higher Up Texas is self-advocating and I use this when I am feeling I can’t meet the needs of those in my family and the HUT Phase 2 program.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
For twelve years, I was a high school teacher, and it was there that I learned the value of relationship building. Day in and day out, I decided to put my student’s needs first. In turn, I earned the love and respect of hundreds of students that I taught over the years. When you build a strong foundation, students choose to be present and want to learn from you. I believe this set me apart from others because I put in the time to get to know my students as people, not just as children sitting at a desk.
Today, while working with Higher Up Texas (HUT), I get to help young adults navigate adulthood and help guide them to a successful future. I am the Alumni Engagement Manager for HUT Phase 2 (HP2) and I use intentionality, empathy and genuine care to foster relationships with the members in my program. In Phase 2, our members choose to participate and are not required to partake in what HUT has to offer. Currently, we have 108 members in our Phase 2 program. Our members are all over the country, attending college, joining the workforce, and becoming members of the military. Each member is learning how to be an adult and I get to be a part of their unique journey. I help build strong relationships by checking in on them to see how life is going, sending them texts, emails and mail, sending HUT care packages, having one-on-on meetings, coffee and lunch dates, monthly learning workshops, socials, and more. By getting to know my HP2 members as individuals, I can make sure they are getting the support that they need along the way. Through the ups and downs that come with any stage in life, having someone there to celebrate the good times and help you through the hard times is essential. That is what I hope to continue to be for the members of HUT Phase 2.
I am most proud to get to witness all of my former students and current HP2 members find success in their lives, no matter what that looks like: college or trade school, a career in the workforce or the military, starting a family, traveling the world, buying their first car, opening a checking account, building their credit and so much more. Even being a small part of those BIG wins, makes me incredibly proud.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Personally, I do not feel I am a risk-taker. I am usually the one who overthinks every detail of every decision. I do believe that our society has to have a healthy balance between those who take risks and those do not. Some of the greatest successes in life happened because someone took a leap of faith and risked it all!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.higheruptexas.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/higheruptexas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Higheruptexas
