Major: Criminal Justice
Class of: 2018
Every year, the National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) committee recognizes exemplary female student athletes for their educational and athletic achievements. County College of Morris (CCM) student and Lady Titan soccer team captain Stephanie Williams was CCM’s honored re
cipient at the 32nd annual celebration. However, this was not her only award for academic or athletic excellence – she also was named a Second Team Academic Student-Athlete by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and made First Team for All-Region and All at the Garden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) both of her years at CCM. “I am truly blessed to have received all these awards; I wouldn’t be able to do so without my coach, Roger Stephens,” says Williams. “Stephanie is an outstanding young lady and has left an indelible footprint as a student athlete. She epitomizes all that is positive about athletics and student-athletes alike,” says Assistant Athletics Director Stephens. “Being a part of the Lady Titans soccer team at CCM is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life,” Williams shares. “It has expanded my group of friends and made my overall experience at CCM so much better because of my involvement.” She describes the close-knit support system among her fellow athletes as important because it means that whenever she is on-campus, one of her teammates will be close by. As a team captain, Williams believes there is more to it than just being the boss of everyone. “I think the best skill is being able to listen to and understand others’ ideas. There’s nothing better than learning a different perspective from a peer or teammate,” she says. Williams is heavily involved in other areas on-campus, too. She is the Officer of Public Relations for CCM’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society. “PTK has opened up so many doors for me and my future and I’ve met so many like-minded individuals with similar ideas and educational goals.” Her academic prowess is also stellar. Sporting a 3.86 GPA, Williams is certainly among the educational elite at CCM. When asked how she balances an academic, athletic, professional and social life, Williams succinctly attributes her success to her time management skills. “Every day I write a list of things I have to get done that day. Whenever I have a free moment where I have nothing that I need to do, I have time to have a social life.” With the skills she’s gathered and honed at CCM, Williams next will be taking her academic and athletic excellence to Rutgers-Newark in the fall. At her last game as a CCM Lady Titan, she was approached by Graduate Assistant Coach Karin Nordin of Rutgers-Newark to play soccer for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. As for her time at CCM, Williams has certainly taken advantage of various opportunities. “If you want to enjoy your time at CCM, I highly recommend that you get involved,” Williams recommends. “Join clubs, sports teams, or even just talk to people in your classrooms. You can truly enhance your experience by putting yourself out there. Remember what you put in is what you get out.”