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Amari Williams
Assistant Director of Admission
amwillia@chapman.edu
Biography In Brief:
Amari is a San Francisco Bay Area native and a graduate of Tulane University, where he received a BA in Psychology in 2004. As an undergraduate student he was very involved in campus and student life as an Orientation Coordinator and peer advisor for First Year Programs in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Prior to joining Chapman, Amari worked as an Evaluator in the Office of Admission at California State University, East Bay and most recently as the Academic Affairs Coordinator at Alliant International University. He completed an MA in Education and Sociocultural Studies at California State University, Los Angeles in 2008. An A Better Chance, Inc. alumnus (The Urban School of San Francisco ’00), Amari oversees our multicultural outreach efforts and is the liaison to the Schmid College of Science.
His territories include: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and in California: South Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Garden Grove.
Advice from Amari:
Recognize time as your ally in applying to college. There are so many different sources of information: admissions counselors, school counselors, campus visits, brochures, “Google”, etc. But, you need time to sort thru all of that information and to decide if a school feels like it will be a match for you. Some students might have a “love at first” sight moment with a particular school. But, for many, the exciting chaos of senior year or that last semester in community college can make it difficult to know exactly how you feel other than nervous. So, never wait until the last minute to ask questions, to prepare materials, to ask more questions, etc.
My second piece of advice would be to never allow yourself to be intimidated by the scope and grandness of your own dreams. How will you ever accomplish them if you are too scared to feel excited and motivated by them?
Amari's favorite spot on campus:
I find the Attallah Piazza to be a really serene yet vibrant space on campus. And the water is really tempting when that OC sunshine kicks up a notch!
Amari's best admission memory:
All of my best admissions memories are on the tail end, around commencement time. There is something indescribable about being a part of a student’s realization that finally the day has arrived when all the hard work (amidst occasional self-doubt) has paid off.
Amari's best college memory:
My best college memory is oddly when I received a C- on a big writing assignment. Initially I was pretty angry because, though I knew I hadn’t exactly done my best work, I still felt that my paper was pretty good…compared to the rest of the class. When I asked my professor why I didn’t earn a better grade and explained my rationale to him, he broke down the ABCs of achievement for me. He told me that though my paper may have been deserving of a higher grade when compared to those of some other students, it got the grade that it deserved when compared to what he saw as my potential. In other words: (1) I hadn’t done my best work,(2) it was obvious to him, and (3) how anyone else performed was irrelevant. What that encounter taught me was to always give 100% rather than play to the percentages, rely on the grading curve, or in any other way settle for mediocrity.
From Our Application
Fast Facts
Three words to Describe Myself: Curious. Methodic. Relentless.
Favorite Subject: Clinical Psychology
Role Model: My dad.
Favorite Musical Performer/Band/Composer: I like any old school R&B. It’s what we call “sangin’”…not to be confused with “singing”.
Most Prized Possession: I have a teddy bear (yes I said teddy bear) that my parents gave me for my first Christmas. I like having things that represent a world that I can’t quite imagine.
Book you would read again: “A Hope in the Unseen” by Ron Suskind or anything by James W. Loewen
Favorite Summer Activity: Seeing extended family in Fordyce, AR. It’s hot. It’s country. It’s where it all began.
Best Movie of All Time: I can’t decide between The Dark Knight, The Color Purple, or V for Vendetta
Favorite Quote (and by whom): “Want. Take. Have.” Oddly enough it’s from the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (hold the laughter)…but it sums up my approach to life. Not too many things will be freely given to you, and those that are might be things that you want to give back!
Dream Job: Being a full-time lottery winner! Second to that…I could definitely see myself teaching at the college level.
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