University of New Hampshire Athletics
Kaylan Williams
She Does It All
2/10/2020 8:17:00 PM | Women's Soccer
By Logan Welti
Special to UNHWildcats.com
Kaylan Williams concluded her stellar career on the UNH women's soccer team last fall. As an all-conference player she appeared in every single game in her time as a Wildcat. However, as talented as Williams is at soccer, her athletic abilities only make up a part of who she is as a person. Most people don't know all that Williams is involved in off the field because it can't be found on a box score.
Williams is the Vice President of a student organization called Neuro Sci (The Neuroscience Honors Society). She is also a member of Caribbean Cats, Black Student Union and the National Society of Black Engineers. In addition, Williams volunteers twice a week at Ways Meet, an open and inclusive campus ministry.
Still, Williams' greatest accomplishment in her time here at UNH was being accepted into the McNair Scholars Program. The program was named after Ronald McNair and the program's goal is to help people who are misrepresented, or first-generation college students achieve higher education and pursue a masters or PhD.
Williams grew up in Marion, Ind. as the youngest of four girls. She looked up to her sisters and followed in their footsteps, whether she wanted to or not. One of her sisters traveled the world tap dancing which led to Williams getting involved with dance at a young age. However, she also was involved in cross country, basketball, swim and soccer growing up.
Eventually, soccer became Williams' passion and she knew she wanted to pursue playing it in college. UNH saw her at a tournament in Florida while she was in high school and then again at a tournament in North Carolina. She came to visit the campus and fell in love with being a Wildcat.
"I've always been a part of something with dance or sports but at this level it's different, you're with your team all the time – you're with them all day, all night, months at a time, you only get two weeks off a year so you've been through everything with them ups and downs."
Head coach Steve Welham had this to say about Williams' contribution to the program over the years. "Kaylan had a wonderful four-year career here at UNH. She excelled in the classroom with a 3.39 cumulative GPA, was a member of numerous campus activities and clubs but none greater than the McNair Scholars program (she was the first in her family to attend college). Kaylan will attend medical school in the near future and I have no doubt she will excel there as well."
Williams is grateful she had the opportunity to play Division I soccer but from the beginning her education has been most important. "I've always been interested in the brain and I saw that they had a neuroscience and behavior program that was new and upcoming, so I thought it'd be cool to try out and as soon as I got in, I loved it! I also knew I wanted to go to medical school, but I didn't know how I was going to get there, through the McNair program I get fee waivers for my graduate school applications and they have funded me to go to different schools and visit."
At the very first McNair's meeting Williams went to they told her she gets to do her own research project, she gets paid for doing her research, and they would set her up for grad visits to present her research.
"I've always worked arbitrary jobs you know just to make some money, but this actually helps me with what I want to do, and I get paid."
Looking into the future, Williams discovered after working with Dr. Robert Ross in the psych department this past summer that she is most passionate about research. She took her GRE in October, is currently looking into dual programs for her MD/PhD and is preparing to take her MCAT in March. Williams really does do it all, on and off the field.
Special to UNHWildcats.com
Kaylan Williams concluded her stellar career on the UNH women's soccer team last fall. As an all-conference player she appeared in every single game in her time as a Wildcat. However, as talented as Williams is at soccer, her athletic abilities only make up a part of who she is as a person. Most people don't know all that Williams is involved in off the field because it can't be found on a box score.
Williams is the Vice President of a student organization called Neuro Sci (The Neuroscience Honors Society). She is also a member of Caribbean Cats, Black Student Union and the National Society of Black Engineers. In addition, Williams volunteers twice a week at Ways Meet, an open and inclusive campus ministry.
Still, Williams' greatest accomplishment in her time here at UNH was being accepted into the McNair Scholars Program. The program was named after Ronald McNair and the program's goal is to help people who are misrepresented, or first-generation college students achieve higher education and pursue a masters or PhD.
Williams grew up in Marion, Ind. as the youngest of four girls. She looked up to her sisters and followed in their footsteps, whether she wanted to or not. One of her sisters traveled the world tap dancing which led to Williams getting involved with dance at a young age. However, she also was involved in cross country, basketball, swim and soccer growing up.
Eventually, soccer became Williams' passion and she knew she wanted to pursue playing it in college. UNH saw her at a tournament in Florida while she was in high school and then again at a tournament in North Carolina. She came to visit the campus and fell in love with being a Wildcat.
"I've always been a part of something with dance or sports but at this level it's different, you're with your team all the time – you're with them all day, all night, months at a time, you only get two weeks off a year so you've been through everything with them ups and downs."
Head coach Steve Welham had this to say about Williams' contribution to the program over the years. "Kaylan had a wonderful four-year career here at UNH. She excelled in the classroom with a 3.39 cumulative GPA, was a member of numerous campus activities and clubs but none greater than the McNair Scholars program (she was the first in her family to attend college). Kaylan will attend medical school in the near future and I have no doubt she will excel there as well."
Williams is grateful she had the opportunity to play Division I soccer but from the beginning her education has been most important. "I've always been interested in the brain and I saw that they had a neuroscience and behavior program that was new and upcoming, so I thought it'd be cool to try out and as soon as I got in, I loved it! I also knew I wanted to go to medical school, but I didn't know how I was going to get there, through the McNair program I get fee waivers for my graduate school applications and they have funded me to go to different schools and visit."
At the very first McNair's meeting Williams went to they told her she gets to do her own research project, she gets paid for doing her research, and they would set her up for grad visits to present her research.
"I've always worked arbitrary jobs you know just to make some money, but this actually helps me with what I want to do, and I get paid."
Looking into the future, Williams discovered after working with Dr. Robert Ross in the psych department this past summer that she is most passionate about research. She took her GRE in October, is currently looking into dual programs for her MD/PhD and is preparing to take her MCAT in March. Williams really does do it all, on and off the field.
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