Where as typical students join City College after high school completion, 20-year old English-Literature major Dani Williams first attended City College during middle school, in a summer jazz class.

The vibrant, vegan Santa Barbara native started playing drums in a jazz band at La Cumbre Middle School. Her middle school teacher recommended some of his “prize” students to take jazz summer classes at City College.

“It was really funny – all of our friends from junior high were there so there were all these 12-13-year-old kids with the adult City College kids,” Williams said. “I mean, I’ve seen a lot of young people there, but definitely not that young.”

Throughout high school, Williams co-enrolled at City College, taking various art classes, while simultaneously completing her academic curriculum at San Marcos High School. After high school, she enrolled as a full-time student and starting working part-time at a local coffee shop, Good Cup, on the Mesa.

It was the inspirational teachings of English Professor Chella Courington that motivated Williams to be an English-Literature major. Her eyes lit up and her smile brightened when the topic of Professor Courington arose. Williams also expressed the desire to pursue education herself.

“Teaching, I feel, is always an option and something I might want to do later in life, but my dream job, which is like, the cheesy job I probably will never do, is to be a screenwriter for a cheesy show like Arrested Development or something like that,” she said. “But, I feel that teaching is more stable, and I like stability.”

Williams participates in poetry readings, enjoys bicycling, painting and hanging out with her three tortoises and two beagles even though finding spare time for extracurricular activities between work and school can be challenging.

“Part of the reason I’ve stayed in Santa Barbara so long is because my two beagles, Chloe and Cosmo, are getting old. I’m serious,” she said, chuckling.

Williams will obtain her associate’s degree in liberal arts in May and will transfer to UCSB or UC Santa Cruz in the fall.

“I’m really excited about transferring. You know, feeling worthy to the world with a bachelor’s degree,” she said. “It’s important to me and I feel like I’ve been working really hard for a reason.”