Fort Lauderdale Police Officer returns to alma mater to inspire youth
FORT LAUDERDALE – Ashley Williams is an officer with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. It's a job, but for her, it's also the best experience of her life.
As a high school graduate of Dillard High School, she returned as the school resource officer, a full-circle moment that has blessed not only her but the community she serves.
"Seeing how amazing and how far you can grow, it makes me want to continue to do my dreams even when I feel like I may not want to keep going," said 10th-grade student Jalyn Cuiler.
To protect and serve is the duty of a law enforcement officer. For Williams, this work is in her heart and her impact is felt by many. Her former teacher Sonja Fuller reached out to CBS News Miami to shine a spotlight on all that Williams does.
"It was always my mission to become a cop and come back to my school to be able to pour into the youth," said Williams and that's what she's doing.
Jimmy Levasseur-Walsh had dreams of being a Marine and he said Williams helped him achieve that.
"It was kind of hard because I didn't really know if this was really right for me until I met some mentors throughout my life who really guided me and really pushed me," Levasseur-Walsh said.
On one special day, Williams was honored by her former teachers, fellow officers, and students.
"She always goes above and beyond," Fuller said.
Williams will soon trade in her school resource officer hat for that of a detective, a challenge she's ready to take on.
"I'm from the city, from the neighborhood. So, I feel like I really had a mission of really helping our girls in particular," she said. "Now that I will be leaving, it's bittersweet as I stated before, to know that like your mission's complete here, now it's on to the next thing."
Williams follows in the footsteps of her late mother who was a dispatcher and her uncle who was a sergeant for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
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