Name: Shadae (SHUH-day) Williams
Graduation Year: 2018
Hometown: Kennesaw, GA
Major: environmental science (geoscience concentration) with a journalism minor
Activities: Berry Women’s Lacrosse. Nothing else.
When was the exact moment you knew that Berry was right for you?
“This is a hard question. It wasn’t when I got accepted, actually. And it wasn’t SOAR (orientation), or my first visit or any of that. I think it was when I got here for my work training at D-hall a week before school started. It was easier than I thought to make friends. You hear all those stories about how you’re going to be alone for like a month..and that’s just not how it happened. So, it’s lit.
What do you most enjoy about Berry?
“Considering I’m awkward, I like how there aren’t too many people here. So, I’m not overwhelmed. I also like how it’s not a campus that’s too small. I feel like there’s still more to be seen, even though there’s not a lot of people here.”
I know you were originally a Dual-Degree Engineering major, what made you change your mind?
“Well I just really like having my hair and sanity in tact, so I was like ‘Hey, let’s not do this anymore.’ Also, I had a concussion while I was taking calc 2. Honestly, I attribute more of me not knowing what was ever going on in the class. My concussion probably didn’t have anything to do with me almost failing. I was not about to take physics, so I thought I wanted to be an environmental engineer. I just know there are so many other things that I can do in the environmental field that switching my major wasn’t a loss for me.”
You mentioned having a concussion, how did that happen?
“I was playing lacrosse, and it was around the time that we basically had a blizzard last year, so we were doing indoor practice. We were just doing passing drills, and one of my teammates threw the ball at the back of my head. It was lit to say the least, and by that, I mean not lit at all. I spent basically a month staring at a wall in the dark and couldn’t play for that amount of time. Oh, what was really cool was I was out during Spring Break, too. For Spring Break my team and I went to DisneyWorld, and I couldn’t ride any of the rides, so I was basically a mom-chaperone. That was cool.
Tell me a little about lacrosse here at Berry:
“It’s really challenging. Both physically and mentally. But I can honestly say I have definitely learned so much, not only about the sport but about myself. I love that I get to be a part of the experience.”
What do you do in your daily five minutes of free time?
“I don’t know if you’ve heard of LifeReady, but Laura Elmer has me lit. We have a schedule where my naps are built in. During this time, I like to act like I’m napping and scroll through Instagram or watch Netflix: Always Sunny in Philadelphia is up there. Or I’ll just eat some chips and hummus.”
Where is your favorite study spot?
“Definitely not the library. I learned that the hard way last year. Last semester, though, I got a lot of work done in my friend’s room. This semester I’ve been studying more in my room on my bed, which is a challenge because it makes me just want to sleep. I don’t know what I’m doing, honestly.”
What’s your favorite part of campus?
“I really like Macallister, I guess because I’m in there all the time. I feel like it’s a unique building. Obviously, the pendulum is my favorite part. I’m pretty sure I have vertigo, but I love the spiral of stairs, even though it makes me dizzy looking at it. I also love just being in my own room more than anything. I love my bed and my tapestry of the desert. My color scheme is very earthy, like everything in my life, my wardrobe, all of it. There’s a lot of earth tones.”
Tell me a little about your family:
“My parents are both from Westmoreland, Jamaica. Funny story: My mom knew my dad’s family before she even knew my dad. She didn’t meet him until they came to America. They came to America for better opportunities, the whole nine yards. My sister, Shakira, and I are basically the same person. She’s hilarious, and she’s really good at doing makeup. She’s one of the main reasons that I love makeup so much, too. She’s my role model.”