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A Kentucky State University alumna practicing medicine in New York said she’d choose her alma mater all over again if given the chance. 

Dr. Mollie V. Williams, currently the residency program director at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, said her journey from Brooklyn to Kentucky and back again has been an interesting one. 

“Who would have believed that a little Black girl from the projects in Brooklyn, New York; born to a single mother, the granddaughter of a sharecropper, would be where I am today?” Williams said. 

Williams graduated from Kentucky State with a bachelor’s in biology in 1998. She was a member of the track and field team. 

“As an only child coming from Brooklyn, New York, I thought I would have a difficult time adjusting to life in Frankfort,” Williams said. “I found an entire family amongst my teammates, classmates, coaches, faculty, and administrators.”

Kentucky State prepared her for graduate studies and her career, Williams said. 

“When I look at all of the alumni, I see an enormous number of successful careers in varied fields, proving that Kentucky State provides a solid education and a place to grow,” Williams said. 

Williams said she was recruited by Kentucky State as a track and field student-athlete in her sophomore year of high school. 

“Being a first-generation college student, I had no clue as to what was important in choosing a school outside of academics,” Williams said. “But what I did know was that it would be impossible to find this type of support anywhere else.”

After leaving Kentucky State, Williams continued to pursue what had intrigued her for a long time. 

“I can remember saying that I wanted to be a pediatrician as far back as kindergarten,” Williams said. “I have always had a desire to care for people in some capacity and also a burning desire to know more about how the human body works.”

Williams went on to complete a Doctorate of Medicine from Meharry Medical College, residency training in emergency medicine at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, a fellowship in disaster preparedness/emergency management at Kings County Hospital Center and SUNY Downstate in conjunction with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, as well as a master’s in public health with a specialization in communication health. Williams has also obtained board certification from the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

“God has always placed people in my life to nurture and support me through this journey,” Williams said. “It hasn't been easy, but definitely worth it. Not only do I get to care for my community, but I am also able to educate and train the next generation of emergency physicians.”

Williams said her favorite memory of Kentucky State is participating in and attending the first coronation and Homecoming of her life as a freshman. 

“In addition to the rich education,  heritage, history, and support, this was the essence of what it meant to attend an HBCU: family,” Williams said. 

Williams said she learned many lessons at Kentucky State, including “that God will lead you to the place you need to be in, at the right time, with the right people.”

“If I had to do it again, I would choose my alma mater,” Williams said.