Where Are They Now

Lakeisha Williams

THEN, Lakeisha Williams was a Chicago Lights Tutoring student who loved math and science. She worked with Michele Ormont, her tutor, from about fourth grade until she graduated St. Benedict High School in 2019. “Michele played a big role in my success in school,” Lakeisha recalls. “[She] used her deep understanding of math to help clarify complex concepts for me. We often relied on library worksheets to deepen my understanding, and this helped me immensely in my college math class.”

Lakeisha attended St. Benedict with the help of a Chicago Lights scholarship, enjoyed technology enrichment classes on Tutoring evenings, completed a technology internship as part of Tutoring’s Career Development program, and continued to college with a Greer Foundation Scholarship. “The support from the [Chicago Lights] staff and their genuine excitement to see students succeed made a big difference for me and motivated me to keep pushing toward my goals,” she recalls.

NOW, Lakeisha is a 2024 DePaul University graduate with a master’s degree in cybersecurity, and she is the owner and founder of Authoritative Digital Solutions (authoritativedigitalsolutions.com), which helps businesses harness AI and automation to meet their growth and marketing needs. “My long-term goal is to build a full digital solutions company that offers services ranging from automation, AI, and digital marketing to cybersecurity, custom software development, and more,” she explains. “I want to help businesses implement these tools effectively so they can stay competitive and not fall behind as technology continues to evolve.”

Lakeisha particularly enjoys owning her own business because it gives her control over her time. “I love that I’m building something that’s truly my own and that I have the freedom and flexibility to choose which projects and clients I want to work with,” she says. “It’s also incredibly rewarding to see the direct impact my work has on clients, whether that’s helping a business grow online or making their operations more efficient.”

She adds that being a small business owner keeps her constantly learning. “Owning a business has taught me so much about leadership, communication, and decision-making that I probably wouldn’t have learned as quickly in a traditional job. Every challenge pushes me to grow both personally and professionally.”