Pima County School Superintendent Visits TIA Students

“Today was the highlight of everything we offer at TIA. Dr. J has a vision where teachers, administrators and students all work together for the betterment of the community. One of the high school teachers, Mr. Goshay, invited Pima County School Superintendent Dustin Williams to come speak to the kids about leadership, how to be successful students, and how to take that success in their education into their future.”  Jonathan Basurto, Vice Principal at Midvale campus. Superintendent Dustin Williams had the opportunity to talk to the students about his life experiences, what made him successful in life, and what were some of the hardships. He also shared what it’s like in politics, what it’s like to be the elected Pima County Superintendent, his experiences in school, how to work on self-confidence, how to make ourselves better each day, goal setting, and more.

Dustin Williams, Pima County School Superintendent

“When I went to college, I wasn’t college-ready; I was lost. I hadn’t put enough time into my academics when I was in high school and didn’t have good study habits. I flunked out of the University of Arizona on my first try at college. So I became a real estate agent for 3 years. Then I moved to San Francisco and became a futon salesman, then I moved back to Tucson and became a server in a restaurant. I quit my job and enrolled at Pima College; I wanted to become a teacher. I knew at that moment I had found my passion. I was 26-27 years old. I found something I loved to do which changes everything. When I became a teacher, I wanted to make sure that I became a mentor for all of the students.” 

Mr. Goshay, a teacher at Midvale campus

“The time is now. One of the things I learned about NOW is it stands for No Opportunity Wasted. I invited the superintendent in because I hoped his story would inspire and reach the students’ hearts. Mr. Williams is a Tucson native who made bad choices in college and failed. But he recovered, overcame his obstacles and is now leading schools. I hope that his story will inspire the students and show them that they have the ability to succeed. As the students learn to find the things that they love, it makes it enjoyable to learn.”  

Dr. J, TIA School Superintendent  

“Having Superintendent Dustin Williams here today was inspiring. He has personal experiences about college and about preparation for the future that are pertinent and of great value. Being an educator, he knows the challenges. What I loved about his speech today was how practical he was. Telling the kids his personal story will inspire and encourage them. One of the main things they talked about was the importance of focusing and answering the hard questions. What are you passionate about? What difference do you want to make in the world? Are there problems that you think need to be solved? Those are all good questions when you are considering what to study in school, so that you can be a powerful leader and bring positive change.” 

Andrew Bevington, Pima County Business Education Director

“My advice is to get involved in clubs and do extra things when you are in college. Get involved in sports if you can. Pima college costs a lot less for the first two years, in terms of debt load, compared to UofA, so unless you have a full scholarship, it makes a lot of sense to attend Pima and get your AA degree there, then go for your higher degrees at another college, which will be a manageable debt load.”  

Unice Ryes, TIA Senior Class President

“To have Superintendent Williams share his story will help motivate us to pursue our dreams to go to college.”  

Dustin Williams, Pima County School Superintendent

“Speaking to seniors is good because sometimes when you get to your senior year, you want to let off the gas a little bit. We want to help the students find motivation points so they can push through and finish strong, academically and personally. We also talked about the importance of being leaders and the new leadership styles we have in today’s world. With hate crimes and a lot of adversity going on, how do we overcome that and make our community successful? So we want to get to these students and give them tools and strategies, or at least how to start thinking about these things; it’s important to them to hear these words. It’s also important for the students to know that people care about them, which will inspire them and get them to move forward. Not that everything is about money, but without a high school diploma, you will not make more than about $13,000 a year. Once you have that college degree, you will be making $35,000-40,000 a year. TIA is a place that inspires students to think like entrepreneurs. What’s the big picture and where are you going in life? TIA gives students a chance to think outside the box, think about putting together a project that they may want to sell to a community, and empowering students to put together something to make it real.”  

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