Walter Williams

Walter was motivated to go back to school to begin a career that would support his family. He grew up in Antigua, a small island in the Caribbean, and immigrated to the U.S. in December 2011. Living right down the street from X-Cel's Dorchester site at the Log School, he eventually stepped inside to learn about the program. Walter started X-Cel's high school equivalency classes in September 2012 and soon realized that college was not out of reach. "X-Cel showed me that attending college was a possibility."

"Take your education seriously. Jump at any opportunity you get to learn something new."

Walter earned his GED in December 2012 , and in January 2013 started classes in the Electric Power Utility Program at Bunker Hill Community College. This is a selective program that opens up employment opportunities in the utilities field. Walter graduated in May 2016 with an Associate of Science degree and works as a Distribution Service Technician (DST) for Eversource. "My new job allows me to be able to spend more time with my family, and it provides a sense of security. The associate degree will also open more doors going forward as I grow professionally." He plans to continue his career at Eversource and one day become a supervisor. Reflecting on his time at X-Cel, Walter found the volunteers and individualized instruction encouraging. "The volunteers would determine your weaknesses and work to strengthen them." His advice to future students: "Take your education seriously. Jump at any opportunity you get to learn something new. An education can and will open doors for you that you never knew existed. It creates a more exciting/ financially sound future."