(GRANTHAM, Pa.)– Orlando Williams walked through the Larsen Student Union, engaging in a phone call, as he suddenly saw me begin to pass him. Seeing his phone to his ear, my eyes swiftly met the ground as I did not want to disturb his conversation.
As I walked closer toward him, I heard him say, “Hold on, one second.”
I glanced up to see Williams’ phone at a distance from his ear, as he looked at me and asked, “Are you okay?” I quickly nodded my head “yes” to ensure he knew nothing was wrong. I then watched him smile, raise his phone back to his ear and continue on his way. I walked away shocked to have seen someone so intentional in knowing if I was doing alright, but that is who Williams is.
Orlando Williams grew up in West Philadelphia and lived in South Jersey as a teenager with a single mother and two sisters. As a boy who had lost his father to gun violence, he has had to navigate life and what it means to be, what he calls, “a real man.”
Although times were difficult, Williams went off to receive a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Millersville University and worked with school-aged students with behavioral or educational needs in Lancaster after graduation. He then found himself coaching basketball for several years, as well as working in classrooms as a paraprofessional.
During this time, a colleague of Williams’ asked if he had ever considered going into higher education and recommended Messiah University. As Williams took this comment into consideration, he remembered that his in-laws were living in Harrisburg, only fifteen minutes away from campus. Soon after, Williams and his wife were temporarily staying with his in-laws as he became Messiah’s Multicultural Student Programs Intern, in 2019.
He worked his way from being an intern to becoming Messiah’s Assistant Director of Multicultural Student Programs, beginning in 2022.
Although he has found his job title to be a conversation-ender in certain circles, he still has managed to stay two years in the position.
“I love my job. I love who I do it with and do it for,” he said.
The struggles Williams has experienced have created a passion within him to work with students who need a role model or listening ear, to be the consistent person he did not have while growing up. He has been pouring into the lives of young men as he leads Messiah’s Men of Color Kickback support group, which builds community for young men of color at Messiah.
“The Lord found me and I saw manhood in Jesus,” Williams said. Though the death of his father did not allow him to call one man a role model, Williams emphasized how once he was saved by the Lord, Jesus became the man he wanted to live like. Today, he continues to use that example with the young men he interacts with.
Williams recognizes the Lord’s faithfulness through his struggles as well. He has seen his family and friends support his mother, his sisters and himself in difficult times. He has seen the Lord provide him with uncles, neighbors and other men to learn from. He recognizes God’s faithfulness in how his in-laws conveniently lived close to Messiah, giving them a place to stay until he and his wife could find a home.
“I’ve learned that God is faithful. I don’t know why he took my dad, but I know he loves me and that his plans are for my good and not to harm me,” he said.
During his time at Messiah, he has used his life experiences in ways to ensure students have someone to look up to, to learn from and to feel safe with.
“I would want to be remembered as someone who cared,” he said. “Someone who was genuine, and cared about the wellbeing of others. And ultimately that I glorified God. If that was what was said about me, I’d be a happy man.”
These wishes of Williams’ have ultimately already come true, as many students stop by his office during the day to catch up or ask for advice. Many feel comfortable to open up about both difficult and peaceful moments.
When asked to describe Williams, Jorge Sandoval, a sophomore Cybersecurity major who is involved in African Student Union, said, “He is a very laid back guy who cares about everyone like his own family.”
Shae Miller, a senior Applied Health Science major who is also involved with African Student Union, said, “I think he’s very approachable and easy to talk to […] All in all, he can connect with other people easily, and it’s clear that he genuinely cares about the people he interacts with.”
Miller went on and asked a few other students, who will remain anonymous, how they would describe Williams. One person referred to him as a “mentor.” Another person called Williams “approachable, very friendly, and very well connected.” One other person described him as “a safe place if you need to talk about anything.”
All in all, students at Messiah can feel comfortable to open up in the presence of Orlando Williams. He can brighten anyone’s day with just a quick conversation and will give up his time to ensure a student feels seen, understood and welcomed. He shows the love of God through these aspirations and continues to inspire both young men and women to love and live like the Lord.