Her Story
About Diane
Diane Williams has served in education since 2009 and currently holds the position of Executive Assistant to the Dean for the School of Social Work at Clark Atlanta University's Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work, where she also functions as a project manager supporting the dean, faculty, staff, and students while managing events and programs. Her path to this role began with a career in hospitality, where she worked as director of sales for a hotel in Washington, D.C., until the housing bubble disrupted the industry. After leaving hospitality, she returned to school in 2009 and earned an undergraduate degree, two master's degrees including an MBA with a GPA near 4.0, and three certifications. Previously, she served as program director at the University of the District of Columbia, where she restructured the hospitality pathway for workforce development. Williams is a member of Delta Mu Delta, an international honor business society, and a published author with a chapter titled Living a Good Life on Purpose in the Phenomenal Foundation Series. She is launching a scholarship search business to help students fund their education and attributes her success to an each-one-teach-one philosophy rooted in her Harlem upbringing. She values ethics, kindness, truthfulness, and standing by her word, and she plans to become an online faculty member teaching the integration of AI into business practices.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Diane
01What do you attribute your success to?
I am originally from New York City, born and raised in Harlem. One of our mantras in Harlem was if you get out the neighborhood, you come back and you get somebody and you teach them how to do the same thing. I have always done that. I'm an each-one-teach-one person. If I learn something, I don't keep the knowledge to myself. You have to share the knowledge so that everybody can be wealthy, not just myself.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice that I've ever received was to take my time to decide what direction I wanted to go in. My advisor said, Diane, just sit down, don't just pick one, pick what best fits you, what fits your spirit, what fits your soul. I'm very much of a spiritual person, so I sat down and had a conversation with God to figure it out. And I chose what felt good to me. Pick one thing and be good at what you do. Don't leave any money on the table, and everything is about positioning yourself well.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be afraid to ask questions. In my MBA class, my favorite class was my negotiations class. And my takeaway from that class is, women, we don't ask. As women, we should ask the question. And if it makes somebody uncomfortable, then it makes them uncomfortable. But don't be afraid to ask the question. Because women, we typically don't ask.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Student funding for education. Our current administration has changed so much of the student loan process. A lot of funding has been rescinded and taken away. I decided to do something individually and help students find scholarships. Getting a college degree is still very important, even though I'm reading that people without degrees are having a better time getting a job. I have been told that I am too educated, literally someone said that to me. It was really because they didn't want to pay me the salary that I was due.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being ethical, being kind, being truthful. It doesn't pay to lie to anybody. And always stand behind your word. If you say something, do something, be about what you're supposed to do.
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