Titus Williams, Business Administration

MBA student Titus Williams’ Legacy: Lift People Up

Greenville-native Titus Alexander Williams will graduate in December with his Master of Business Administration from the Thomas D. Arthur Graduate School of Business. He is a legacy Pirate — his mom received both her graduate and undergraduate degrees from East Carolina University — and he came to ECU’s College of Business after receiving his two-year degree from Pitt Community College.

“After transferring from PCC, I met with Lee Brown (director, Cunanan Center for Professional Success), and he gave me a tour of the College of Business and (showed me) all that it had to offer,” said Williams. “After our meeting, I signed up for business courses for that semester.”

Williams found himself back with Lee Brown and supporting the COB’s Cunanan Center upon receiving his undergraduate degree. He was brought on as a graduate assistant and for almost two years, Williams brought more than a can-do attitude to the Cunanan Center and the students it serves.

“He brings a smile that lights up your day,” said Melissa Parks, associate director of the Cunanan Center.

That attitude and an inviting smile give Williams the ability to lift people up and an innate ability to help, or, better yet, want people to succeed.

Since joining the Cunanan Center, Williams has worked at numerous Cunanan-sponsored events and has been a go-to resource to help students with their resumes. Williams estimates he’s helped more than 1,000 students with their resumes since joining the Cunanan Center.

“It’s just a way for me to be able to talk to students and get to know them,” said Williams. “I had one student who came (to the Cunanan Center). We looked at her resume right before the career fair, and we talked about how we wanted to format it. Later, she came back to the office and said she got a job; they (the hiring company) praised her resume.”

Whether helping COB students with resumes or the proper dress for interviews, Titus Williams did it all with a smile and a positive attitude. (Photo by Michael Rudd)

Walking the halls of Bate Building, it was not uncommon to see Williams taking students to the Cunanan’s Center professional dress closet, a repository of donated suits, ties, skirts, shirts, pants and shoes for students to use if they need business attire for job interviews and COB activities, such as the annual Business Leadership Conference.

“A student came up (at the Business Leadership Conference) and was clearly not in dress code,” said Williams. “I brought him back to the dress closet and fitted him with something so he could attend the event.”

“You never really know what hurdles students go through,” added Williams.

Williams credits his ability to help people and wanting to lift people up to his mom, who was a librarian and is currently a teacher.

“Just seeing the energy that she brought and just seeing how excited the kids were to see her, it instilled in me to be the light and be the caring one,” said Williams.

Williams says he plans to bring to his career the knowledge gleaned while at ECU and the COB, as well as the uplifting, positive attitude that comes naturally to him.

“You never know what a person’s been through,” said Williams. “Why not be the one to bring a smile to their face.”

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