New Durham Tech Success Coach Blake Williams helps students create career paths

Growing up, Blake Williams wanted to be a doctor, a track and field athlete, a scriptwriter, and a comic book creator.

Now, he works with students who, like him, are sifting through interests and planning for a career. Williams is the College’s first Student Success Coach, the first hire in a new support model at Durham Tech, which helps students with academic advising, career planning, financial aid, transfer policies, and other resources.

“This is more than just advising students at the beginning of the semester. You’re really getting to know the student and helping them during their entire journey at Durham Tech.”

— Blake Williams

Williams, a Durham native, experienced a series of twists and turns in his own career path.

His desire to be a scriptwriter stemmed from his passion for cartoons, comic books, and superheroes. He was one step closer to this dream after graduating from Highpoint University with a bachelor’s degree in English Media, but hit a roadblock while applying to graduate school.

“I felt pretty discouraged, but my mom suggested I look into the Educational Technology program at North Carolina Central University to explore other career options,” he said.

This program ignited his interest in education. After he gradated he became a teacher’s assistant for K-5 students and students with special needs.

“I thought I wanted to teach, but I realized I wasn’t as passionate about it as I initially thought I’d be,” he said. “I knew I needed to do something more with my life because I now had my masters degree and was only a teacher’s assistant.”

After a brief stint as a membership coordinator for USA Track and Field in Indianapolis, Williams returned to North Carolina and began teaching adults at the Center for Employment Training. “I realized again that I didn’t want to teach. I wanted to be on the back end of education.”

When he saw Durham Tech was hiring a student advisor position in 2013, he jumped at the chance.

“I love making connections with students, guiding them through their pathway, helping them stay on track, and being a resource to them,” he said.

Williams helped students like Guilford Archie who first enrolled in the College to pursue Business Administration, but realized it wasn’t the right fit for him. After telling Williams about his love for cars, Archie enrolled in the Automotive Technology program, and two years later he had a job offer before he graduated.

“Blake’s been a great mentor and role model to me. I thank God that he has been in my corner to help me because without his guidance I don’t know where I’d be right now,” he said.

Today, Archie is excelling at his new job and plans to return to Durham Tech in the spring to finish his Business Administration degree and open his own automotive shop.

In 2020, Williams joined a workgroup to start discussing the Student Success Coach framework and was offered the coordinator position in 2021. The workgroup was initiated by Dr. Angela Davis, Chief Talent and Equity Officer at Durham Tech.

"Success Coaches provide holistic guidance for a student's academic, professional, and personal journey. Blake's personal lived experiences and years of experience as an advisor and success coach make him the perfect person to lead the implementation of our Success Coach Framework," Davis said.

Within the Success Coach framework, departments build relational partnerships with student and facilitate warm transfers to success coaches and other supportive resources.

“Success coaching is very holistic. You’re helping students realize their goals, how to achieve them, and formulating strategies together when challenges arise,” Williams said. “If a student needs tutoring, we walk them to the Center for Academic Excellence and help them schedule an appointment. If they need to use the Campus Harvest Food Pantry, we walk them there. If you just tell a student where to go they’re less inclined to go. We want students to know we’re with them along their entire journey at the College.”

The initiative launched in Fall 2021 with 20 randomly selected full-time, first-year students. Each has been assigned a Success Coach to guide them through their two-year journey at Durham Tech. Coaches check in with students regularly and serve as a resource so they can head off any challenges students face during the semester.

Students can set up an appointment or learn more by emailing successcoaching@durhamtech.edu.