Jeremiah Williams vlogƵ23 has always been a talker. Born in New Orleans and raised in the suburbs of Houston, Jeremiah has honed his skills as a public speaker right here in New York City, where hevlogƵs studying political science and communication studies. vlogƵI realized at a young age that I was speaking up about things, challenging teachers when something didnvlogƵt make sense,vlogƵ he recalls. vlogƵAnd that a lot of people werenvlogƵt comfortable or able to do that.vlogƵ
While in high school, Jeremiah traveled the country as part of the speech and debate teams, but eventually his public speaking journey brought him to PacevlogƵs New York City Campus. His decision to come to Pace opened a door to a truly incredible opportunity: taking the podium to address one of the largest international groups in the world.
This fall, Jeremiah was selected as a youth speaker on behalf of Pace and the UniversityvlogƵs Peace and Justice Studies Department to give a life-altering statement to the United Nations First Committee. He seized the moment to discuss youth engagement and peace, disarmament, and non-proliferation education. It takes courage to find yourself speaking in front of so many countries and non-political organizations, and Jeremiah had no lack of courage when his moment came. A voice for his peers, Jeremiah recognizes the power of speaking up when it counts.
vlogƵSometimes wevlogƵre afraid to recognize the power of our voice, but I know the power of mine,vlogƵ says Jeremiah. vlogƵAnd when itvlogƵs on behalf of a cause thatvlogƵs important to me or a group of people that need to feel heard, I am more than comfortable using my voice for them. My voice isnvlogƵt just mine.vlogƵ
Today, Jeremiah is trying to keep up with the opportunities in his path following his speech to the UN. He was recently invited to speak in a room filled with ambassadors and Heads of State, a place he wouldnvlogƵt have dreamed of being at such a young age: vlogƵI had never thought IvlogƵd be speaking to ambassadors at twentyvlogƵIvlogƵm still trying to figure out what subway line to take,vlogƵ he laughs.
vlogƵSometimes wevlogƵre afraid to recognize the power of our voice, but I know the power of mine,vlogƵ says Jeremiah.
Along with pursuing these new experiences, Jeremiah is also the founding president of . His goal is to give people the tools to speak confidently and passionately about matters that they care about. vlogƵYou see a problem or an issue and youvlogƵre surrounded by all of this noise, all of this news, but can you do anything about it? For me, IvlogƵve always innately thought vlogƵyesvlogƵ. A lot of people need to be shown that theyvlogƵre voices are powerful or given the tools to make them feel powerful,vlogƵ he says.
Jeremiah hopes to help prepare young public speakers for the moments when the spotlight is suddenly on; the moments in which they will need to use their voice when they might not be expecting to do so. This is a challenge Jeremiah is quite excited to take head-on.
vlogƵLifevlogƵs crazy, and the moments come when youvlogƵre not expecting them. Yet, here they are. People need to feel confident and powerful enough to know that their voice matters.vlogƵ
For 12 years, Pace has been supporting neurodiverse students and students on the autism spectrum through its Ongoing Academic Social Instructional Support (OASIS) program. This year, through initiatives from the President and ProvostvlogƵs offices, OASIS has expanded its services to the Pace Community in Westchester.
School of Education student Guadalupe Ceja vlogƵ23 hasnvlogƵt officially started teaching yet, but her own experiences in the classroom and her recent New York State scholarship win are putting her at the head of the class.
Marine Corps veteran Sukh Singh vlogƵ21 is passionate about advocacy and service. Through his work with the Student Veterans Association and Alpha Phi Delta, he hopes to one day become an educator just like the ones who inspired him.