Senior of the Week: Marina Williams

By ANVI BHATE, EMILIA KNIESTEDT, SOPHIE MA, and STELLA SONG

Lights brighten and whispers from the crowd begin to dull as Williams enters the basketball court confidently, her entire Imani dance crew following close behind her. Fast-paced hip hop music booms through the room. Her moves boast immense energy and prowess; her radiant smile and sheer excitement instill joy in whoever has the chance to watch.

In her three years at Exeter, Williams has been a constant ray of sunshine, spreading laughter and joy to the people around her wherever she goes. “She’s funny,” close friend and fellow Bancroft proctor Ana Casey said. “And when people say something funny, she tends to say, ‘You're interesting in the brain’ and then she'll often follow it up with ‘I love it.’ But she's always funny.” Williams is also an active member of the Academy’s dance company as well as its many dance clubs. She serves as a co-head for Imani, Exeter’s hip hop co-ed dance group, choreographing many of their pieces alongside other co-heads.

Williams followed her brother’s footsteps when she decided to come to Exeter. “My brother went [to Exeter] because he broke his collarbone his senior year of high school. He was being recruited by Harvard at the time, but since he broke his collarbone before the season started, he came here for a year and he really, really liked it,” Williams explained. “And ever since then, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this seems so cool!’ You get to talk at the table, you don't have to raise your hand. That’s crazy!”

What really sealed the deal for Williams was the promising performing arts program at the Academy. “They made the Goel Center. And I was like, what?” Williams continued, “My old school had only a really small, black box theater and a very small dance studio. There wasn't a lot to do there and they didn't put on many performances. I love my old school. But [Exeter] is just like a brand new world. I was ready for something new to challenge myself. So I came here.”

While Williams is now known on campus as a brilliant dancer, that was not always the case. When she first arrived at Exeter, Marina had only one year of dance experience under her belt. “All my life, I was playing soccer and running track,” Williams explained. “I grew up in a family of athletes, and I was the first one to break from the mold when I went into an ‘artistic’ sport.” 

“It’s hard to jump right into it, but the dance community is so welcoming,” Williams continued, “They don't really care where you're at, as long as you're trying. I would put in extra time outside meetings to learn the choreography, to get it right.”

Along with dancing, Marina is an active contributor to Exeter’s Core Values Project and Anti-racism work. Last term, she worked on Project Rise, where she increased access to books written by authors of color at a local library. “Especially when we worked on the children's section, it was so nice to see that representation. When I grew up, I didn't have any of that.”

On campus, Marina is famous for her optimistic nature, which has evolved into her own Sunshine Committee, an on-campus organization working towards spreading positivity through small actions of kindness. She explains the motivation behind her work, “Sometimes when your mind is just such a clouded place, you need a little glimmer of hope, which is why it's like sunshine. Reading a few words off a random page that you've run into in the middle of nowhere might help you a little bit.” 

Describing Williams’ kind nature, senior Chandler Pigge added, “I would describe Marina as a ‘light of the world.’ She brings a positive aspect to many parts of her life and others that are second to none.”

Casey echoed Pigge’s statement. “She's just a very genuine person. All of her friendships are very genuine and she makes everyone she hangs out with feel special and feel loved in a unique non-generic way. She just brings a lot of positivity and light and just also acknowledgement of the outside world, which I feel like we often lack here.”

Lower Sofia Contreras agreed: “I feel like as a lower, when I'm a senior, I'd want to be like Marina.”

In and out of the dance studio, Williams’ attitude leaves a long-lasting effect on everyone she meets. Lower Vera Aimunmondion shared, “For me, the legacy Marina will leave behind is being patient with oneself and others; [to] take up artistic space in an inspiring way through dance; [to] acknowledge the nuances in exploring identity, and love; and [to] spread genuine love and kindness.”

“She has done so much that can be honored from the classroom, to on the stage, to in the community. Her affection and passion for whatever she participates in is amazing. She will not only leave a legacy to young men and women at Exeter behind her but continue her role model status as she pursues life,” Pigge continued.

“You go away from an interaction or relationship with her wanting to be a better human being. Her legacy is giving you something to strive for,” senior Lyric Zimmermann said, speaking about the legacy Marina was going to leave behind after graduating.

“She has a unique ability to make deep, meaningful connections with lots of different people,” Casey added. “She has her own little backstory with everyone on campus. She says hi to everyone on campus, even if she doesn't know them, and then they'll pass and she'll laugh about it. She’ll be like ‘I have no clue who that was.’”

When asked about how she has changed over the last few years, Williams spoke about finding and accepting herself. “Many times I have no idea what's going on,” Williams said. “ I think I have gotten used to being okay with that and realizing that the things I have to say are still as important as everybody else's at the table. Yes, it might not be fully formed, and yes, I might stumble through it, but at least I'm putting something out there. And, confidence is key.”

“It sounds so cliche, but be true to yourself and be unapologetically you and you'll attract the right people into your life,” Williams continued, speaking about advice to give to younger students.  “Don't try to change yourself for others. “

“That was one thing I struggled with when I first got here; I was trying to figure out who I was at the same time, trying to make new friends and juggle everything. And I realized that I don't need to be the person everybody wants me to be. At the end of day, it's my life and it's not theirs. Do what you love.”

“Peace, love, and happiness,” Zimmermann said, “It’s her little slogan.”

Casey echoed that sentiment, recalling a moment of genuine happiness with Williams. “[It was] her birthday, towards the middle of fall term. Everyone was kind of dead but she was just dancing around. Marina goes hard for her birthdays. It is her day,” Casey said. “We got her Crocs with three different Jibbitz. One that was a peace sign. One that was a heart. And one that was a smiley face one and happiness. She’s been wearing them a lot lately – her crocs with peace, love, and happiness. It was a really fun night.”

Likewise, Zimmermann treasures the small moments with Williams. “Marina thought a dog’s average lifespan was three years up until a week ago,” she said, laughing. “There's just very few people that emulate both genuine human nature and genuine happiness.”  

“Frankly, she’s one of the only people I can think of who actually does both,” Zimmermann finished. “There's just something about her.”