Arkansas Tech University alumna Zariya Williams has always been interested in the law. A personal and tragic loss focused her interest on aiding victims.
“In 2015, my dad was murdered,” said Williams. “That’s when I decided that I wanted to be a prosecutor. We never found out who did it or why they did it. To me, being a prosecutor is about serving the community, doing everything I can to keep the community safe and representing the victims.”
A 2022 graduate of Arkansas Tech, Williams began serving the Sixth Judicial District of Arkansas in September 2025 as a deputy prosecuting attorney in the juvenile division.
In many ways, her journey to that position began when she joined the ATU Upward Bound Math and Science program during her sophomore year at Dardanelle High School.
Several of Williams’ friends and classmates began the program during their freshman year, but the anxiety of going through the interview process caused her to take a wait-and-see approach.
When her friends started talking about the benefits of Upward Bound and how much fun they were having in the program, Williams knew she had to apply in advance of her 10th grade year.
It turned out her worries about the interview were nothing to worry about at all.
“I loved it,” said Williams. “That was my first-ever interview. I was super scared and didn’t think I would get accepted. I have loved interviews ever since then. Neither of my parents went to college and I knew nothing about it, so I thought it would be perfect. In Upward Bound, you get to meet different students from different schools. I was a very shy person and only talked to my one or two friends, but Upward Bound almost forces you to get out and meet new people. I thank Upward Bound for that every day. It push-started my ability to communicate and talk to other people.”
Williams also learned about financial aid to help pay for college and about Arkansas Tech through her involvement with Upward Bound. As a result, she chose ATU for her undergraduate education.
“I knew the (ATU) campus through Upward Bound, and the program helped me find a lot of scholarships,” said Williams. “Tech offers an enormous number of scholarships. I was already taking two classes (at ATU) the summer before I started, so it was a great transition. I also did the Arkansas Tech Career Center program throughout high school, so my credits from there transferred. It was a seamless transition. It made the most sense for me to stay home, stay near family, stay near Upward Bound and get the same education I would have gotten elsewhere while receiving a lot more scholarships. I knew everybody (at ATU) and I knew I loved the people there, so it made no sense to me to go somewhere else.”
Williams earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Arkansas Tech with a double minor in pre-law and communication. She served as president of the ATU Pre-Law Society.
Some of Williams’ most influential faculty mentors during her Arkansas Tech education included Dr. James Stobaugh and Dr. Brendan Toner. She also fondly recalls working in the ATU identification card office and the networking opportunities her student employment provided.
Williams maintains contact with the Upward Bound staff to this day. They even helped her when she was completing her law school application. Williams graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law in May 2025.
“I still talk to all three of them…Ms. Annie (McNeely), Ms. Jill (Hendricks), Ms. Shawna (Davis)…when I was applying for law school, they were the first people I went to and they read through my essay,” said Williams. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for all three of them. They are amazing human beings, and they and Upward Bound are how I got to where I am today. I’m a big family person, and Upward Bound is part of my family.”
Upward Bound connected Williams with another federally-funded TRIO program that positively influenced her ATU experience: Student Support Services (SSS).
“Her name is Nichole Edwards…I love her, I love her, I love her,” said Williams when recalling her SSS advisor. “I was able to sit down with her and go over how my last semester went…things that didn’t go great and things I wanted to work on for the next semester. Having someone help me work out the process was absolutely essential for me.”
Now that she has begun her career as a prosecuting attorney, Williams said one of the skills she is working to develop is the ability to decompress at the conclusion of a difficult day or a difficult case.
“Some cases just hit you different,” said Williams. “You see some things, you hear some things and you witness some things that are hard mentally…hard to un-see. I’ve had lots of nights where I can’t sleep. It’s always those things you can’t fix. Some hearts and some cases…there’s only so much you can do. I’m a big baker and I love to be in the kitchen, so sometimes it’s going in the kitchen and baking a fresh batch of cookies. Sometimes it’s telling my husband we’re doing nothing this weekend…I want to sit on the couch and eat a bowl of cereal all weekend. I do the best I can to separate my work life and my home life, and I’m learning that’s what’s helping me the most.”
Williams said she appreciates the rehabilitative aspect of working with youth and the opportunity to assist them so they don’t become repeat offenders later in life.
Her long-term goal is to work in criminal court and assist victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
“My favorite part of my job is talking with the victims, the witnesses and the officers so we can figure out the resolution or end goal we are looking for,” said Williams. “How can I help you figure out what that is, and then advocate for that in court? My why is to give the victims and the community what I was never able to get.”
