Living Up to the Promise: Arrionna Williams

The path to a college degree hasn’t always been an easy one for Arrionna Williams, and neither has it always been a straight path, but it never stopped her. The 2019 Flint Southwestern Academy graduate had dreamed of attending a Historically Black College and University once she was out of high school and was happy to have found one in Ohio that would keep her close to her family.

“When COVID hit in March of 2020, we were forced to move off campus,” she says.

Arrionna chose to return home instead of spending the money on a college experience she couldn’t fully take part in. Uncertain whether she wanted to continue with her education or not, she found a lifeline with the Flint Promise Scholarship, which she was able to take advantage of, now that she’d returned home to attend college.

“When I had to transfer, I was very discouraged, but the Flint Promise Scholarship really pushed me to not give up no matter how long it took,” she says. “It gave me that motivation to keep pushing and not stop… especially the amount of people who pushed me to keep going are my motivation.” 

One of the most impactful aspects of the scholarship for Williams has been the relationship she has formed with her success coach, who has helped keep her moving toward her goals. “She has been checking in on me every week,” she says. “She’s been a big help. She points me to a lot of resources, and she has put me in a position to grow. Because of her, I have been able to take part in all the things that are offered as part of the scholarship. I wouldn’t have my current internship if it wasn’t for her.”

That internship is with Uptown Reinvestment Corporation.

“They are teaching me property management and the ins and outs of how to manage properties” she says. “I love it.”

After the summer and her internship are over, she’ll be heading to the University of Michigan-Flint to complete her education, having started it this summer by taking real estate classes. Once she has taken the real estate test and can get her degree, she has big plans in place.

“I want to get into real estate development,” Williams says. “I also want to build my own portfolio of real estate properties, too. I am interested in investing in property.” 

Having seen the need for affordable housing in Flint, she sees that as her future, and part of that would be having property she can use to help people is part of that plan.

 “I want to be a part of those things, and fund them, and give back to the community,”

Arrionna has one piece of advice for those students who may be interested in the Flint Promise Scholarship –

“Do not hesitate to use the scholarship. To apply themselves no matter how long it takes. There’s a big support team behind them. Also, to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way because it can open a lot of doors for you in the future. 

For more information on the Flint Promise Scholarship, head to –https://theflintpromise.org/.