In 2010, during her first year of college at the University of Rhode Island, professional rock climber Nina Williams hit a wall and decided it was time to let go鈥撯�搒o she dropped out of school to focus full-time on her sport.听听
A few years later, she found herself compelled to traverse a new path through the world of communication, so she transferred to her hometown campus of CU Boulder and began taking courses in CMCI.听
Now a senior, Williams is merging her two passions, creating a niche for herself that is both personal and profoundly relatable. She on the fear of letting go鈥撯�揻rom the perspective of a climber trained in the art of falling鈥撯�揳nd over the summer she鈥檒l launch a coaching program for climbers focused on mindset and inner dialogue.听
This month, Williams will graduate with both a major in Communication and a minor in Leadership Studies. She鈥檒l do so with the distinction of being the Department of Communication鈥檚 William W. White Outstanding Senior鈥撯�揳n award given to students in each department based on a combination of academic merit, professional achievement and service to the college.
We checked in with Williams to learn more about how she鈥檚 combining her two passions and the professors and classes that shaped her college experience.听
听 What鈥檚 an area where you feel like you鈥檝e really grown between your first semester of college and today?
I鈥檝e grown more comfortable in voicing my opinions based on what I鈥檝e read or learned about. I feel that my comprehension and critical thinking skills have improved, and so I have more confidence in drawing on prior knowledge. At the same time, I鈥檝e also gotten more comfortable being wrong and re-thinking my position. Confidence goes both ways.听
鈥嬏�What鈥檚 a piece of advice or a lesson someone shared with you during college that you still remember?
One of my COMM professors, Instructor Jeff Motter, once told me: 鈥淜now what you want to say, and say it.鈥� He taught me the value of figuring out an essay鈥檚 content before writing out sentences with irrelevant fluff. I鈥檝e had trouble writing essays because the task seemed daunting at the beginning but Jeff鈥檚 advice has helped me start from the core of what I want to say and build from there.听
鈥嬏�No pressure to have this figured out yet, but do you have any post-graduation plans at the moment?
I鈥檓 excited to combine my new perspective of communication in tandem with my passions for coaching and climbing! This summer, I鈥檓 launching an eight-week coaching program for climbers that focuses on mindset and inner dialogue. I have a long-term vision of creating college-style classes for outdoor sports enthusiasts around mind/body connections and how they relate to our attitudes about life. I鈥檓 considering grad school in sports psychology but I need a little break first.
鈥嬏�How has the major you studied shaped the way you look at the world?
Initially, I understood communication as interpersonal and relationally based. Now, I see communication as expressions of unique reality. There are certainly interpersonal and relational components, but learning how to communicate is not just about getting your own meaning across. It鈥檚 a process of learning about yourself through the other person鈥檚 perspective in an ongoing cycle of meaning-making. Communication creates culture and vice versa; therefore, we have the opportunity to create the world we want to exist in based on how we communicate with others.
听听Was there a class or club outside of your major area that you found really memorable or fascinating? What was it?
Two classes stand out鈥撯�搊ne was GRMN 2301: Inside Nazi Germany, with Associate Professor Arne H枚cker, and the other was EDUC 3013: School & Society, with doctoral student Page Regan. H枚cker鈥檚 class was particularly relevant given our country鈥檚 political climate and proximity to fascism. Learning about the historical events leading up to World War II gave interesting context to current events. Regan鈥檚 class gave me further insight into educational institutions and how we might look differently at school systems. Both professors taught with passion and grace and respected us as students.
听What motivated you to persist throughout college?
I persisted through college (this time) because I felt connected to my major in terms of how it matched with my personal characteristics. I knew I was in the right area of study because I found joy in the process of learning, rather than stressing about the outcome.听
听Based on what you know now, what is your best piece of advice for other students?
If you don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e doing, it's okay鈥撯�搈ost people don鈥檛 know what they鈥檙e doing either. We can understand what we鈥檝e done in the past and apply those lessons in the present moment, but the process of figuring things out is all very confusing and based on trial and error. The best way to learn is to dive right in and make some mistakes.