First Howard, Then Cardin!?

STORY BY KAMESHIA JERAE HODGE, FNN EDITOR, ALUMNI BUREAU

Dexter Williams, Friendship News Network Alumnus, was born and raised in our hometown of Washington D.C., but has crossed state lines to work as a staff assistant for Maryland Senator Ben Cardin. 

After earning his BA in Health Sciences, Dexter—just like so many of us recent graduates—struggled to find a job. For Dexter, the old adage ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ rang true. With months of searching for the ideal position and company under his belt, it seems the perfect job fell right into his lap.

When asked what the deciding factor was in choosing to work with Cardin, he replied, “This was actually a miracle,” he continued. “After I graduated from Howard I spent a few months looking for jobs and the only thing that came through was an internship with the Men’s Health Network of Washington, D.C. So, I just gave up. Just a week ago, my friend suggested that I apply for the job with Senator Cardin and it turned out in my favor… While my job isn’t health-specific, I’m already learning a lot about issues pertaining to health policy and will be able to incorporate that experience into my future plans. In addition to the job with Cardin, I’ll be starting my Master of Public Administration program at the University of Baltimore on August 27th. This job is in the public service arena and my graduate program supplements my job.”

Does Dexter enjoy working in such a heated political climate especially when only several short years ago his intended track was medical school? Well… apparently so. While the daily hustle and bustle involves endless constituent concerns and requests, he is responsible for directing those requests to the proper staff member. You won’t find him complaining though. Mr. Williams has much to be proud of. Within the last six months he received an undergraduate degree, entered the workforce headfirst as a staffer with Senator Cardin, and became a graduate student. Luckily for him, Howard University, one of the nation’s oldest and most reputable Historically Black Universities, has groomed him for greatness. “Howard has not only prepared me from an academic perspective but from a political perspective as well. Howard has taught me how to deal with and address pressures associated with a political environment.”

Dexter Williams was a 2007 graduate of Friendship Collegiate Academy, and 2012 graduate of Howard University.

Kameisha Jerae Hodge was a 2007 graduate of Friendship Collegiate Academy, and 2012 graduate of Lafayette College.