Lillian Williamson
Lillian Williamson is a Fulbright grantee in Madrid, Spain teaching English & history and studying the comparative environmental ethics of Spanish and American youth. She graduated from the University of Washington in 2023 with a degree in political science and environmental studies (with interdisciplinary and departmental honors, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), where she was the 2019-2021 Mary Gates Honors Scholar, a 2022 Husky 100 awardee, and the 2023 Dean’s Medalist of the College of the Environment. At the UW, she served as the Student Body Vice President, co-founded and worked as the managing editor of The Historical Review (UW’s undergraduate history journal) and served as the President of the Young Democrats. In her time at UW, Lillian also served as a Commissioner with the City of Seattle’s LGBTQ+ Commission and lobbied for improved behavioral health services with the Washington Health Care Authority. In addition, she was a board member at the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education network of Washington. Her studies and advocacy work focus primarily on the intersection of civil rights, environmental justice, and public policy.
Goals
Inspired by her work in policy creation at the state level and advocacy on stakeholder-driven environmental issues, she plans to pursue a law degree with a focus on environmental law.
Tips
1: Shoot your shot, and don’t let yourself get intimidated. Your odds are always better than you think! 2: Ask for feedback from a variety of sources. It’s best to get a good mix of people who know you well and those who don’t–ask your instructors, OMSFA, mentors, classmates, and your family and friends. But, above all else, go with your gut. 3: Start your application early, and edit it often. My first draft was almost nothing like my final draft–don’t be afraid of big edits if they feel right!
