Dallas, Tex. - John McWilliams, a senior at Paul Quinn College, was featured on the Thursday, December 6 broadcast of the nationally syndicated “Tom Joyner Morning Show” as one of the Tom Joyner Foundation’s Hercules Scholars. McWilliams is a Business Administration major with a concentration in Management.
The Mountain View College alum has a 3.9 cumulative GPA and is a member of the Non-Traditional Students Club as well as an avid golfer. McWilliams' story of resilience upon the untimely death of his youngest son was shared with the popular radio show's audience. He wrote to the Tom Joyner Foundation that he simply lives by the motto "Never give up," which provided him with the motivation to complete his degree at Paul Quinn after taking time off from school.
He says that his advice to his younger college peers is to keep going by associating with people who will push them. Then, McWilliams says, college students should work hard to "see it through."
"Give yourself something to reach for and don't allow distractions to take you off course from your goals and dreams," he says. He says that his then seven-year-old son Jamaal was his motivation. "College and obtaining my degree has always been a dream that I never let go of. I wanted to show my sons that you don't have to sell drugs, be on the corner, rap, play sports as the only means to being successful. That you can actually go to school, obtain your degree and give yourself more opportunities to be successful."
The Hercules Scholarship is awarded to successful male students attending historically black colleges and universities. Candidates must be males enrolled full-time with a grade point average of at least a 3.5. Hercules Scholars are announced in conjunction with the foundation’s School of Month program and are announced every Thursday.
Posted By: Eddie Francis
Friday, December 14th 2012 at 10:01AM
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