English Major Out in the World: Kenyeih Williams

By Jefferson Beavers, Communication Specialist, Department of English. 

Photo: Fresno State alumna Kenyeih Williams directs development efforts for the Craig School of Business.

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“I always wanted to do something where I was going to help people.”

Fresno State alumna Kenyeih Williams is the director of development for the university’s Craig School of Business.

In her role, she works closely with the dean to engage with the Craig School’s many philanthropic partners — businesses, community members, alumni, faculty, and more — to advance the mission of the business school. This includes fundraising, writing proposals, maintaining relationships with supporters, and producing special projects such as the Gender and Leadership program (GAL), which helps students navigate the challenges that underrepresented genders face in business leadership roles.

Williams graduated cum laude from Fresno State in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature. She went on to earn a Master of Public Administration degree from Marist College in New York.

In her final undergraduate semester as an English major, Williams responded to a random internship opportunity briefly mentioned by one of her professors. She soon found herself interning in Congressman Jim Costa’s office, learning about grant writing. 

The internship led to a series of development jobs: grants manager for a ballet company, grants administrator for an arts commission, endowment reporting manager for UC Davis, director of annual giving at UC Merced, director of advancement for a private Catholic high school, and now a director of development at Fresno State.

Meet Kenyeih

 This video was filmed by Jefferson Beavers and edited by Celeste Jones for Fresno State’s College of Arts and Humanities.

If you’re a Fresno State English alumni and you have an inspiring career story that you’d like to share, please submit this short “Share Your Success Stories” form, or contact Jefferson Beavers at jbeavers@mail.fresnostate.edu or 559.278.1569.

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Editor’s note: This story is the third installment of the video series “English Majors Out in the World,” highlighting English Department alumni who’ve taken unexpected career paths while translating their academic success into community success.