SNHU Spotlight: Roberto King Williams, BA in Psychology Grad

Roberto King Williams ‘23, a father of five children, a veteran and the founder of a nonprofit, said Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) has provided him the tools necessary to fulfill his purpose. After earning his online Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology with a concentration in Addiction Studies, Williams said the information he learned at SNHU is helping him transform the lives of others and his community.

“My SNHU experience has been amazing,” he said. “Online education met my needs by giving me the flexibility that I needed in order to pursue my goals.”

Williams, while raising his children, working two jobs and obtaining his degree, also launched a nonprofit: One Purpose, One Life.

“That organization is basically to help veterans who struggle with homelessness, substance abuse disorder, along with mental issues,” he said. Through this program, Williams said veterans can connect with resources to attain the best possible treatment.

As a veteran himself, Williams said his own lived experience started this journey.

“I felt that it’s my responsibility, actually, to give back to the veteran community because somebody helped me along the way,” he said. “I felt that returning the favor is the best thing I could do.”

Williams, who began his military career as a combat veteran, first pursued an education to become a physician. But after suffering injuries during his deployment, he became addicted to opioids.

“It was a very hard moment in my life,” he said. “I received a lot of help from the community services in Baltimore, where they have veteran services that help with those issues.”

And now? He said, “Here I am, a success story.”

Through this experience, he said he can now help others.

“The most rewarding part of what I do is to actually see the faces of the veterans that I’ve helped, the thank yous and just being of service is basically my reward,” said Williams.

To pursue his goals and purpose, Williams said SNHU provided him with the tools he needed, such as learning about emotional intelligence. He said his time at SNHU also allowed him to understand his gifts and how to better serve as an advocate.

“SNHU is helping me to transform the life of my community and others by basically setting the example, setting the pace,” said Williams. “A lot of young kids look up to me, and I try to counsel as many people as I can and encourage them to be a better person.”

For his own kids, Williams said he hopes to show them anything is possible with a positive outlook, no matter your age.

“Hopefully, I get an opportunity to motivate more people through my actions and the things I’ve learned through the program," he said.

Abigayle Mahnken ’22 is an assistant content writer at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English and is currently earning a Master of Arts (MA) in English and Creative Writing. Passionate about storytelling and education, she enjoys learning from fellow students' experiences and sharing their stories. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, reading, and learning. She also really likes video games. Connect with her on LinkedIn.