FOSSI: Tell us a bit about yourself.
My Name is Chance Khalil Williams and I'm from Woodbridge, VA. I've participated in Robotics since I was in fourth grade and have been to numerous state, national, and global championships. I served on the Prince William County School Board as the Student Representative, restarted the Black Student Union, led a multicultural night for over 1,000 people, and worked with local politicians to bring student voices to government. I played football for a while but switched to just working out in order to pursue more STEM clubs and activities.
While STEM is my career choice, I am also very interested in politics, and public policy. As AI becomes more prominent in our day-to-day lives, policy and regulation will be needed to ensure public safety and public health.
I feel confident that I have both the financial and academic support I need to not only attend college, but to graduate and immediately pursue my STEM career.
FOSSI: Why are you passionate about pursuing a degree in a STEM-related field?
STEM serves every area of our lives, our communities, and our world. Everything we do in our world is affected by science, technology, engineering, and math. I am passionate about pursuing computer science and engineering, and working with FOSSI partner companies to develop better and more 
efficient pharmaceutical and chemical products by combining chemistry with Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is the future and I want to make sure black and brown communities are not excluded from the advancements that can surely be made to improve their lives. Black scientists and researchers have made an impact from the days of George Washington Carver to Kizzmekia Corbet's COVID vaccine research. STEM fields can create both immediate results and long-lasting impacts.
FOSSI: Why is receiving the FOSSI scholarship important for you?
The FOSSI Scholarship is important to me because it allows me to follow my passion for STEM at an HBCU. It has long been a goal to attend an HBCU and I spent my four years of high school preparing for admission and attendance. Because of the FOSSI scholarship, I was able to choose a college that had everything I felt I needed to accomplish my academic goals.
FOSSI allows minority students an opportunity they would not otherwise have through its scholarships, mentorships, and research opportunities. I feel confident that I have both the financial and academic support I need to not only attend college, but to graduate and immediately pursue my STEM career. The opportunity to pursue research and learn from leaders in the field makes the FOSSI scholarship even more exceptional.
FOSSI: Who is a role model that has influenced you?
My Grandmother Mary Hairston's continued thirst for knowledge influenced me in more ways than
she probably ever knew. Although she never finished high school, she returned to school to get her GED when my mother was just a kid. A loving mother and wife all her life, she stressed the importance of education and ensured each one of her nine children, 13 grandchildren and great-grandchildren graduated from high school. I strongly believe my continued interest in the sciences and all things trivia can be attributed to her inquisitiveness, love of dictionaries, and constant Jeopardy! episodes. She died in March 2022 after battling hypertension and diabetes. I hope my research will make an impact against these diseases so no other family will experience what can hopefully become a preventable loss.
FOSSI: Fast forward – where do you see yourself in ten years?
In ten years, I hoped to have completed my Ph.D. in Computer science and create a company that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to both predict and solve modern-day problems. After spending much of my teen years building robots, I'd also like to use what I've learned to build a smart home with AI throughout. If I'm lucky, I'll have plenty of land and very few neighbors.
FOSSI: Share a few fun facts about yourself.
- Like most engineers, I've been building LEGOs since I could talk.
- I am the oldest child of three.
- I am an excellent cook.
- I love going to concerts and listening to music, specifically Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole.
Hear more from Chance about why attending an HBCU is important to him.
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