Cessilye Williams, M.Ed. Educational Leadership ’02, will receive the 2017 Alumni Humanitarian award at the Homecoming Breakfast on Oct. 13.

When nearly 1,000 students enter Clark Middle School each day, they’re immediately met with a positive message. There’s a poster in the admin office reminding them professional dress is the key to success. There are plaques in the front hall promoting optional academies connected to UAA. And there’s a big sunny atrium filled with pennants of colleges and universities across the country.

“When you walk in the door, you need to be bombarded with the mission of what we are about,” said Cessilye Williams, Clark’s principal for the past 14 years.

Inside Clark, the country’s most diverse middle school, students are pushed toward success through a slew of future-focused programs. As principal, Williams works every day to give her students learning pathways that are fun, exciting and, above all, purposeful.

Clark students have opportunities unique in the state, and perhaps even the nation. Maybe you’ve seen the Informers, a pack of eloquent sharp-dressed pre-teens who practice public speaking across the city? Or have you heard of the fraternity and sorority chapters specifically built to inspire leadership, confidence and conflict resolution in these kids?

“The vision is blossoming,” William’s said of Clark’s innovative programming. “Kids are thriving, parents are believing and pathways are widening.”

Alaska’s principal of the year in 2015-2016, Williams leads the whole operation while radiating calm, confidence and a genuine enthusiasm for education. She has a vision for Clark, and it’s inspiring.

“It’s been a great journey, to transform a school—not just the building, but the heart of the school—to be exemplary,” she said.

Building an Academy at Clark

Williams started her education career more than 30 years ago in Abilene, Texas, but has been with the Anchorage School District since 1993.

As her husband’s Air Force career moved them North to Fort Eielson and later to Fort Elmendorf, Williams continued teaching and pursuing her own education. She earned a master’s in education from UAF in 1988, focused on guidance and counseling, and a second master’s in educational leadership from UAA in 2002. Those degrees allowed her to step up from teacher to counselor to her role as principal today.

She’s not alone in her UAA connections. Husband Timothy earned a master’s in logistics in 2004 and daughter Jazmine earned a marketing degree in 2013. Son Scott graduated from a college in Georgia.

“When I look at our lives, we have really flourished,” Williams said of higher education. Now, she wants to make sure her Clark students have the same opportunities as her own two kids. To that end, she’s worked with UAA to get the concept of college in front of her classes.

In December 2014, Williams met with Dr. Terry Nelson of the College of Business and Public Policy (CBPP). Their energy and ideas quickly combined to form a leadership-focused academy. The plan: every other Saturday, CBPP professors would teach leadership to Clark students, specifically focusing on building a successful future. Within weeks, they had 17 students signed up for Leadership Fellows Junior, and an $850 grant from the UAA Center for Community Engagement and Learning.

That program has since spawned several more. An education academy trains future teachers through UAA’s College of Education. A health professions academy introduces Clark kids to the diverse health careers offered by the College of Health. CBPP also now offers a coding academy at Clark, and the College of Engineering will soon launch its own partnership hosted at the middle school.

A Connection to College

But what is a program without participants? Williams and her staff work hard to promote these academies to Clark’s parents and students.

“If you’re looking for your student to get involved, we have something for them,” she said.

Many Clark students come from families where college isn’t in the conversation, simply because no one at home has ever enrolled. These academies address that gap and get kids comfortable with college. Each academy offers lectures and hands-on learning but, Williams noted, “the biggest thing is really the connections they make.” In a city like Anchorage, it’s not uncommon for those 7th graders to see and talk to their academy professors at the grocery store.

“Just think about that,” Williams said. “If they’re actually thinking about college … they have a person and a resource they can go to. It just creates a smoother pathway to making their dreams come true.”

That’s important to Williams. Her staff can tell students about their options all day, but if they don’t convey that higher education means harder work, she said, “then we’ve been really neglectful in creating a clear picture for them.” She doesn’t want her students to just enroll in college, but to excel.

“Every student doesn’t have to go to college, but we want to make sure they’re prepared,” Williams said. “Then, it’s their choice.”

There are amazing things happening inside Clark Middle School. And like the building itself, Williams is designed to inspire.

“Visions become reality, realities become opportunities, and opportunities become fulfillment for students,” she said.

“It’s a beautiful cycle that just keeps growing.”