Francesca Williams lives her life by a simple philosophy: Treat people the way you want to be treated and lead with joy.

It is an approach the Vicksburg native brings to her work each day as program coordinator for Mississippi State’s School of Nursing at MSU-Meridian. Whether she is helping faculty manage the demands of a growing program or reassuring a prospective student who is uncertain about returning to school, Williams said it’s the small acts of kindness that can change the direction of someone’s day.

“We don’t know what the person next to us is going through,” she said. “Everybody has their problems, and if you start with kindness, you could flip somebody’s entire day around and never even know it.”

After earning a 2020 bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in philosophy from the University of Southern Mississippi, she had hoped to counsel and mentor young people, particularly children navigating the often-overlooked challenges of middle and high school.

She found that opportunity as youth minister at Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Hattiesburg, working with students in grades six through 12 and especially those needing extra encouragement.

“The kid with all the great grades who is valedictorian just might be struggling,” she said. “Sometimes parents think everything is crystal clear and okay, but it may not be.”

She said children and youth have always drawn her energy and her “kid-like spirit.” That same warmth ultimately helped bring her to MSU-Meridian.

In 2023, Williams had the chance to join MSU’s staff and help launch the university’s new nursing program, so she moved to Meridian where the nursing school is based at the downtown Riley Campus.

As program coordinator, she keeps the School of Nursing connected and organized, and although leaving her youth ministry’s children was difficult, she found a new way to continue caring for others.

“I tell students that if they come here they will have support, that we want them to succeed so that they can go, and in turn, take care of others,” she said.

This engagement with students, she said, feeds the purpose that first drew her to psychology: helping people recognize their potential.

Williams recently has found herself at the receiving end of care through colleagues who have encouraged her to continue her education.

“I’m thinking of going back to school—maybe in psychology or public health or a public policy program,” she said.

That support, she said, reflects what makes MSU-Meridian special.

“The people here care about this place, but we also care about each other,” she said. “We want Meridian to grow, we want Mississippi State to grow, and we want each other to grow. That love and support matter.”