When planning for college, we often get caught up in how attaining a degree “should” look. But what if we didn’t?
Our Fall 2023 Commencement Speaker, Lyric Williams, has done just that – showcasing what it looks like to lean into the “what ifs.” Graduating with a major in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts and a minor in mathematics, Williams’ academic journey has been far from traditional yet has inspired joy and fulfillment beyond their expectations.
“I changed my major six times,” said Williams, explaining the unpredictable trajectory of her college career. However, Williams approached this dilemma not as discouraging but rather, liberating, adding “by changing my major, I was introduced to many different types of learning and gained a culturally-rounded college experience.”
Citing a conversation with Warner College of Natural Resources’ Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Rickey Frierson, Williams recalled him asking, “What’s your passion?” At the time, they thought it was mathematics since they came to CSU with the intention of becoming a physics teacher. In the following weeks, however, they found themselves circling back to the question, coming to a new conclusion: “Really, I think [my passion] is just sharing information. It’s opening up space for people to learn and grow, nurturing growth in an educational sense,” explained Williams. “It’s nurturing ideas of expansion and growth – letting these ideas have space in a world where sometimes they don’t.”
“It’s nurturing ideas of expansion and growth – letting these ideas have space in a world where sometimes they don’t.”
Simultaneously, this epiphany made her consider the way she was approaching her own learning. “This conversation with Rickey really showed me that I needed to make some hard decisions about my future,” said Williams. She gained a newfound urge to inspect their personal goals with wellness at the forefront. “I had to appreciate space for ideas but not let that space go on and on forever – letting there be growth in education and in the minds of people is important, but so is understanding my bounds.”
So, Williams pivoted. Ditching a rigid plan, they instead selected classes each semester that felt not only interesting but meaningful. They got involved in clubs and organizations they were unfamiliar with. They adopted a mentality of curiosity instead of adhering to the traditional pressures of academia. “I tried to not fall into one category and get into that flow,” said Williams. “I would take a class in engineering then make sure I took [one] in English or dance to keep myself grounded in my values.”
Over her three and a half years at CSU, she has served as the President of the CSU Hip Hop Dance Club, an educator in the Little Shop of Physics program, a DJ at KCSU and a math and physics tutor at the Native American Cultural Center. “The Student Diversity Programs and Services offices are just wonderful places and I made so many friends,” said Williams. As a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, working with the NACC was particularly impactful. “They give you a really valuable space to get to know yourself.”
In their coursework, they explored subjects like composition, dance, and physics. They speak on their experience in dance courses fondly, “In the CSU Dance Program, you just learn so much about your body and where it fits in the space around you. That’s really important to me as a student and as a person.”
“In the CSU Dance Program, you just learn so much about your body and where it fits in the space around you. That’s really important to me as a student and as a person.”
However, her academic career did not come without struggle. “I had just gotten kicked out of a really good scholar program for grad school, I felt really depressed,” said Williams. But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens. “I went to talk to my friend in the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center and they said, ‘You should try to go to the Mountain Campus, really just get away.’”
Leaning into the advice, that summer, they took a course in the Environmental Humanities Program and loved it. “I took Environmental Ethics with Ken Shockley and it was such a phenomenal course. It was a small class and I made great friends.” They reflect on the value of learning in the unique outdoor setting. “I was rooted in this idea of nature – the cycle of nature, of different forms of life,” said Williams. “I was just stunned to feel like I was where I belonged.”
After all these experiences, we return to the question: “what is your passion?”
“This idea of a single passion is something that doesn’t work with me very well,” said Williams.
She goes on to explain that her education has shown her that her passion lies not in an industry, but rather, a concept: “I’m really passionate about staying motivated and always looking for what else, always asking what next. My goal is to keep going and learning and studying, sharing and helping.” Her drive for learning has not faltered either. “I feel as if I am not done with my academic work and would love to continue into [postgraduate] education.”
In their commencement speech, they hope to draw on this concept. “The message is to look back – take account of what happened, appreciate and respect the events – then keep moving forward, keep looking for how you can move forward.” They hope for attendees to find inspiration in the idea that consistent reassessment and pursuit of our passions creates fulfillment in every era of life. “Let’s move forward with intention.”
The Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts major at CSU is a multidisciplinary program that combines the humanities, arts, and social sciences to foster interdisciplinary knowledge, core career competencies, personal development, professional excellence, interpersonal confidence and expertise, and a deeper understanding of our complex world.
