Lisette Williams

Lisette Williams is a graduate of Cambridge Public Schools and spent her formative years at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, observing the type of structure and support that students needed to be successful: student-centered programs and resources, dedicated mentors, and teachers who refused to lower their expectations of students; she is the daughter of a retired CRLS teacher/administrator. As a result, she is particularly passionate about closing or eliminating the achievement and opportunity gaps. In her ten plus years of working with youth, she has seen resources continue to dwindle while the challenges that students face in and out of school continue to increase.

Lisette is a proud graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, the only historically black Roman Catholic university in the country, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with a double minor in biology and chemistry. She also holds a Master of Education degree in School Guidance Counseling from Cambridge College (MA) and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Mental Health Counseling from Cambridge College (MA). Given Lisette’s extensive background in counseling (school guidance, vocational, and mental health), she is keenly aware of the challenges that our young people are experiencing as well as best practices regarding trauma-informed care. Currently, she is the College and Career Coach at Just-A-Start YouthBuild, a youth workforce development program designed to help out-of-school youth ages 16-24 attain their high school equivalency (HiSET) certificate and industry-recognized credentials in construction and retail/customer service.

Lisette is humbled to have been appointed to the Mayor’s Task Force for MBK Cambridge and wholeheartedly believes that every young person has the potential to be successful. A 2019 Cambridge Community Foundation Social Innovation Award winner, Lisette is excited to join MBK Cambridge to advocate for increased access to quality instruction and opportunities that can help our young people break the cycle of poverty.