Lancaster Bible College will soon celebrate the accomplishments of Philadelphia-area graduates from the classes of December 2019, May and December 2020 and December 2021. One of these graduates, Amira Williams (’21), a Biblical Studies major, shares her career aspirations and service to her community.
MY CAREER GOAL AFTER GRADUATION:
To become a licensed funeral director/mortician. I will be attending Northampton Community College – Bethlehem this summer to complete the prerequisites courses and additional classes to major in the Funeral Service Education & Associate in Applied Science in fall 2022.
WHY I ENJOYED MY TIME AT LBC:
When I began attending LBC in January 2020, it was one of the most exciting and terrifying months of my life. The simple answer to why I enjoyed my time at LBC is, of course, the fellowship with the students, faculty/staff, obtaining an education in Biblical Studies and a stronger foundation in my Christian faith, but there is more.
The support and freedom from my professors to ask questions in the classroom about what I was learning made it a safe, loving environment. They never treated any question as insignificant and answered each one with care, sometimes opening it up to the class for a group discussion. We were given the ability, as students, to think for ourselves, with our professors praying and guiding us along the way. I feel more equipped to go out into the world, knowing what I believe, with the desire to express it and grow more in it.
I arrived at LBC a very broken woman. Events in the past year had shattered a lot of things for me. But through the loving faith and care of my professors, who had no reason to invest in me, healing was found because they lived the call of serving the Savior by serving the least of these—me. I found confidence in God and myself as well as hope and strength. I finally understand what it means to be fully loved by God, and I became a new creation with a regenerate heart—thank you, Jesus. Without a doubt, God has His hand over my entire life.
THE BEST THING ABOUT LBC IS:
I gained: a multitude of lifelong, meaningful relationships with fellow believers who spoke truth into my life and encouraged me with grace—really amazing people whom the Holy Spirit is working through, and He brought them into my life when I needed them most; a much better grasp of God’s purpose for my life; invaluable ministry experiences through worship as a member of Student Council, campus Chapel Ministry and the amazing Ally Center; real world studies of how to uphold my faith within my new profession; and, most of all, a year and a half of cherished memories in a Christ-centered learning environment—all of which I don’t think would have been adequately supplied if I would have attended any other college or university. There’s something about LBC.
HOW I SERVE MY COMMUNITY:
I’m a behind-the-scenes type of person, and I try to do for others without them knowing it was me. I volunteer at the Clarence Johnson Jr. Funeral Home in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, where I serve as a funeral attendant responsible for various tasks, such as organizing flower arrangements and lighting, greeting and escorting mourners, praying with families and participating in services if needed.
I also enjoy serving at F.A.V.O.R. (Faces and Voices of Reason) in Phoenixville. As a Site Manager/Facilitator, I visit with organizations, schools, businesses, agencies, individuals and students to provide life skills training, coaching support and professional development.
Lastly, I serve as the Director of Volunteerism for The R.E.F.U.G.E. Hub (Restoring Each Family Unit, Giving Empowerment) in Montgomeryville. My responsibility is to gather volunteers for events throughout the calendar year. We serve food to homeless and low-income families, pass out coats and blankets during the winter months, donate turkeys during the holidays and provide clothes to those in need, to name a few.
God is sovereign over my life. He is in control; it’s His hand guiding and drawing me closer to Him. At Lancaster Bible College, I not only gained knowledge but also wisdom from God to operate as a light in our world and in my spheres of influence.