Jeffery Williams

Jeffery Williams           

By Claire Winesett and Krissy Carter

For Jeffery Williams, earning a degree from Mississippi State University meant fulfilling a lifelong dream. Williams, who currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, works for the U.S. Coast Guard.  

Williams, a native of Amory, Mississippi, received his bachelor of science in interdisciplinary studies (BSIS) through the MSU Distance Education program. He says that after he decided to make the U.S. Coast Guard a career, he never thought that he would have the opportunity to earn a degree from MSU. While taking college courses on and off throughout his military career, he had a hard time finding a school that would best fit the education he desired.

“When I made the decision to finally finish my degree I began browsing the Internet for colleges with online degrees. I was extremely excited to find that MSU had a degree program online that fit what I was looking for,” said Williams.

“MSU provided the best online learning experience I had throughout my college career,” he continued.

For Williams, his favorite memory of his experience at MSU was the day he found out he was accepted to the University.

“It had been my lifelong dream to pursue a degree from Mississippi State University. I never thought it would actually come true until the moment I got the email stating that I was accepted,” said Williams.

The opportunity to earn a degree through the MSU Distance Education program helped further Williams’ career as a U.S. Coast Guard, and he believes an education from MSU can do the same for anyone in any career.

“I learned a lot about organization and being properly prepared for tasks and assignments through taking classes with MSU. Those skills are always relevant and transfer to any career choice you make,” said Williams.

Williams encourages prospective students to acknowledge that is never too late to pursue a college degree, and that they shouldn’t be afraid to give it a shot if they are interested in it.

“No matter where you are in life you can work towards a goal of earning a degree from MSU. It is not going to be easy, especially if you work full-time and raise a family, but anything worth having is worth working for,” said Williams.

Williams’ favorite MSU tradition is Super Bulldog Weekend, and he enjoys “spending time with [his] wife and daughter,” and “watching sports of all kinds – especially MSU athletics. Hail State!”