Student Profile: Morgan Williams
During my first year at Chatham, I (Abigail Kneuss ‘23) have noticed that so many interesting people attend Chatham, and our sense of community is strong, even during hard times. In an effort to showcase just a few of these great people, I’ll be doing a series of student interviews in the coming weeks. These highlights are for students, about students, and by students. This week I am featuring Morgan (Moe) Williams ‘22.
I first met Moe when I participated in the Rea Coffeehouse Reading Series last fall through the Creative Writing Club. At the time she was the president of the club, and she now serves as the treasurer. I’ve since learned that Moe is a force to be reckoned with. She is the co-president of Chatham Student Power, a teammate on the Eerie Roller Girls (Erie PA’s roller derby team), a writer, and an activist in the Pittsburgh area and in her hometown of Erie. We recently caught up to talk about her summer and her plans moving forward at Chatham her Junior year.
Morgan Williams ‘22
Major: Women’s & Gender Studies and Creative Writing with a minor in German
Hometown: Erie, PA
Q: What have you been up to this summer?
A: Well, usually in the summers I participate in my roller derby team but sadly, that was canceled this summer. But, I’ve been keeping busy. I am involved with the local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America and I have also been doing work with the Black Lives Matter movement. I am also nannying. I joke around that I’m a nanny by day, a social activist by night. And of course, I’m doing a lot of reading and writing!
Q: Do you want to continue with that line of work in your future?
A: My end goal is to be a full time writer in any aspect whether that be an author, freelancer, or a staff writer for a magazine or something along those lines. I also would love to pull in my Women’s & Gender Studies major into my love for non-profits. I was involved with volunteering through Planned Parenthood in the past and it was a really rewarding experience.
Q: Why did you pick Chatham?
A: Chatham was my top pick. I’ve always loved Pittsburgh and I was looking for a small liberal arts school. I get the best of both worlds with Chatham and the combination of my majors.
Q: What does being a Creative Writing major entail?
A: It’s really a mix of reading and writing. I took Multicultural Literature and African Writers my first semester and I read so much! Now I’m working towards the writing aspect of the major. You can focus on poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction. I learn everything about creative writing from how to write a journal article, to how to write a compelling memoir.
Q: Do you have a favorite class you’ve taken?
A: My first year I was the biggest sponge and absorbed everything at school, I was reading so much that my roommates joked that I was a reading major. I took Feminist Theory with Dr. Reznik that year and it was such a unique experience. The class was less than ten people and we really got to know one another and connect our different experiences. Plus, Dr. Reznik is the best!
Q: Is there anything you’re really proud of doing during your time at Chatham?
A: I worked with Chatham Student Power last spring to do a sustainable fashion fair. We called it the Thrift and Thread Sustainable Fashion Fair and people donated clothes ahead of time and they then got credit for every donation to purchase items at the fair. We also had people at the fair repairing old clothes for others. The main goal was to make people aware of fast fashion and combat it directly. It was amazing to see the outcome, over 100 people came for the two hour event.
Q: Do you have any summer reading suggestions?
A: I’m currently reading Feminism for the 99%. It’s an 80-page manifesto that separates girl boss feminism from accessible feminism. It’s a good and important read for everyone. I would also suggest Red, White & Royal Blue, it’s set in an alternate universe and it’s a political love-story that speaks on a lot of important issues. The best summer read for me is always going to be any Young Adult romantic comedy, they never get old!
Q: What are you looking forward to in the fall?
A: I did have a study abroad trip planned for Berlin, but that got cancelled sadly. However, I’m excited to use the opportunity of being on-campus to be involved with efforts at Chatham with what’s going on nationwide with the Black Lives Matter movement. I want to help implement tangible change at Chatham.
Know a current or future student that should be featured or would like to be featured yourself? Email us! We’re happy to hear your suggestions.