Nneka Williams is nothing if not versatile. She was captain of her judo team and ran track at the Nightingale-Bamford School in New York City, sang in the Choral Ensemble and in the Madrigals, a select a capella group, served as class president, and represented her school in its exchange program with St. Paul’s Girls School in London. She was co-head of her school’s Model Congress.

Nneka’s list of awards is equally impressive. An AP Scholar with Honor and Gold Medalist on the National Latin Exam, Nneka received two consecutive First in Class awards, the Wellesley Book Award for academic excellence and leadership, and was inducted into the Cum Laude Society in 11th grade. She was a Macy Scholar, attended Columbia University’s summer program in science, and participated in the LEAD program at the University of Minnesota. To cap it off, “Nneka has a wonderful sense of humor,” say both the Head of School and Director of College Advising. “It lifts our hearts to see her sense of fun and wonderful balance.”

Nneka graduated from Harvard University in 2003 where she majored in Earth and Planetary Sciences. She plans to specialize in structural geology and geophysics, an interest she cultivated while doing field research in Argentina the summer before her sophomore year. Nneka’s goal is to study environmental law, then possibly work with oil companies to make certain that their exploration methods comply with the law.