Maurice Williams
This testimony is not a résumé or a list of accomplishments. It is evidence of what happens when potential is recognized early and supported with intention. Programs like College Discovery and Development change lives — and I am one of them.
I grew up in a low-income New York City housing project, raised by two loving parents who lived apart but were deeply involved with my brother, sister and myself. We did not have much materially, but education was non‑negotiable for us. My mother insisted that homework came first. My father was honest and practical: college would require effort, discipline, and scholarships.
In 1965, I entered the College Discovery and Development program at Jamaica High School. Until then, my world was limited to what I could see around me. CDD expanded that world. It gave me something priceless — a clear pathway to college and the confidence to believe I belonged there.
Jamaica High School was massive, with thousands of students. I arrived knowing only a handful of classmates from my junior high school. CDD pulled me out of my comfort zone and helped me build new relationships, new confidence, and a new sense of direction. The counselors and teachers were deeply invested in our success, and that commitment showed every day.
CDD went far beyond the classroom. Through the program, I attended Broadway plays, traveled to Washington, D.C., participated in a seminar and a radio program to discuss the CDD program. I lived on the Columbia University campus during summer sessions taking advanced courses and worked part‑time at the U.S. Post Office. These experiences reshaped my understanding of what was possible.
After graduating in 1968, I attended New York University on an education scholarship and began a lifelong career built on adaptability, leadership, and perseverance. I married in 1977 and became the proud father of two sons. Over the years, I navigated layoffs, career shifts, and major transitions, eventually spending thirty‑eight years with General Motors in senior leadership roles in the United States and abroad, managing global teams and large‑scale operations. Through it all, my life moved continually forward.
Every step of my personal and professional life was shaped by lessons learned early through CDD: confidence, accountability, teamwork, and vision. The program did not just prepare me for college — it prepared me for life.
Today, in retirement, my life looks very different from the small apartment of my childhood. What has remained constant is a deep sense of purpose and gratitude.
College Discovery and Development works. I am living proof.
Thank you, College Discovery and Development.
