Melissa Williams

This week’s Throwback Thursday features Melissa Williams who is currently working as a Discrimination Caseworker for a local charity and conducting freelance research!

Melissa joined Winstanley from Rainford High Technology College and studied English Combined, Sociology, and History between 2014-16.

She then went straight to the University of York where she completed an undergraduate degree in Law (LLB) and then an Applied Human Rights Master’s Degree (MA).

She is currently working as a Discrimination Caseworker for a local charity, alongside conducting freelance research for a ESRC funded research project based at the University of York. In September she will commence her studies for the masters part of her scholarship (Mres in Social Research), and then in 2022 she will commence a PhD in Politics. Her research will look into the impact of Immigration Legislation on ‘sense of belonging and national identity’ amongst British born Windrush descendants.

She would like to continue to work within academia research, with a focus on Immigration Legislation, identity, ‘Post’-Colonialism, West Indian Diaspora, and Anti-Racism. She hopes to also remain active in various social movements to ensure that her research has real world impact.

Melissa said, ‘I would say that Winstanley was the ideal ‘next step’ for me when I was 16, as it was a new environment, with new people, and tutors who supported me to learn and develop. The college is a great place to acquire knowledge, and even now, at masters Level, I continue to draw upon the various resources that I picked up at Winstanley. Enjoy your time here, it will go by so quickly!’