Horace Mann, a 19th century educator and champion of public education famously said, “Education is the great equalizer of the conditions of men.” Norfolk State University alumna Brenda Williams’ mother and role model, Emma Ruth Williams, shared Mann’s belief. “My mother, despite having only a 10th grade education, was a firm believer in the power of education,” recollects Williams.
Reared on her grandfather’s farm in Emporia, Virginia, Williams says that work gave her a sense of accomplishment, encouraged independence, instilled a strong work ethic, and motivated her to strive for a successful life. “I believed that if I worked hard, I could attain anything I wanted in life. I paid my way through college with money earned by working custodial and factory jobs,” she said with pride. “I was also raised not to settle for second best.”
Her beliefs in the importance of education and witnessing the sacrifices her mother made fashioned a seed in Brenda Williams that led her to establish the Emma Ruth Williams Endowed Scholarship in honor of her beloved mother. Hailing from the class of 1974, Williams received a B.S. degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. The endowment benefits students majoring in business administration. “I secured my first professional job at Xerox Corporation via Norfolk State University’s recruiting program. From Xerox, I went on to work at Merck & Company. While working at Merck, I earned my MBA in pharmaceutical marketing in1980 from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey.” Williams retired from Federal Express in 2013 having served 27 years as an industrial engineer…