One of Lily Williams’s most invaluable lessons is that teachers are on your side.
“I would tell younger DPS students to make strong relationships with their teachers. When I was in middle school and early high school, I was afraid to approach my teachers and ask for help because, to me, it seemed like a sign of weakness,” said Lily. “However, I have realized that teachers are there to support you.”
Lily will be a B.N. Duke Scholar next year at Duke University, where she plans to major in public policy and history. This “full ride” scholarship awards students who “excel academically and demonstrate commitment to civic engagement.” A favorite memory is her parents attempting to stand on cartons full of raw eggs to demonstrate the strength of otherwise fragile objects via the even distribution of external weight for her Creekside Elementary science fair project, “Walking on Eggs.”
Maybe this is why Lily regards her parents as her strongest motivators. “I have always been surrounded by an atmosphere that encourages learning and curiosity,” she said of her upbringing. “As I have gotten older, I have a better understanding of how valuable education is in today's world.”