As a student Iyanna Williams imagined a career working in sales, having concentrated in marketing for her degree. Nearly four years later, she’s found herself fully immersed in the world of development and fundraising.
“I kind of just fell in love with the relationship-building aspect. Marketing and development are not very far off,” she said.
After moving to Boston, Williams was working for a temp agency when she accepted a placement at Harvard University. There, she worked as a staff assistant in major and principal gifts. After three months as a temp, she was hired full-time.
Supporting two regional directors, she helped them manage prospects in New England, as well as some overseas in London.
“I supported their management of prospect portfolios, helped set them up for meetings, booked travel, and other administrative tasks like that,” she said.
After two years as a staff assistant, she was promoted to a group leader position, where she became responsible for managing 12 other staff assistants alongside another co-group leader.
Following her time at Harvard University, Williams made the transition to her current role as a major gifts officer at Wentworth Institute of Technology where she manages a portfolio of 128 prospects. A major part of her role is considering ways to align the philanthropic goals of prospects with the goals of the institution.
The journey to this point hasn’t always been easy. Moving to Boston with a limited local network felt like a barrier to success when she first moved to the city.
“I feel like if I hadn't had the inside scoop of the position, having already been a temp in the department I wanted to be in, I'm not sure if I would have had the same opportunities,” she said. “Because you're just another applicant on paper. And unless they decide to meet with you, and see who you are in person, you never really get room to explain further than what's on paper.”
Her persistence has paid off.
“Developing from staff assistant into major gift officers, in my short three years of being postgrad, has been a really heavy lift,” she said. “But I love the work that I do. I think it's really easy to believe in a mission when you're molding the minds of the best and brightest at Harvard or serving Boston community members at Wentworth, who maybe otherwise wouldn't have the same opportunities. I think it's a really easy mission to believe in,”.
When it comes to lessons learned from Castleton, Williams noted that every role in life, whether as a student or professional, is what you make of it.
“Your experience is what you make it. Wanting a better opportunity is learning what you're interested in, what your working style is, and then making those connections. I think relationship-building would be my key to success,” she said.
One of her valued relationships is with Business professor Peg Richards.
“I think that she just was such a great teacher. She really cared about her students and checked in on her students within the coursework, but also outside of coursework,” she said.
Her relationship-building advice extends beyond students’ time on campus.
“When you're thinking about making transitions, it's great to be able to reach out to your former colleague, or a friend of a colleague, who maybe had worked with someone who you work with now, and they're willing to meet with you to maybe give you a little bit more information about the role or who you'd be working with, or what the team’s like,” she said.
More than relying on connections, Williams stressed the value of working hard to achieve your dreams.
“Even when you think your goals are super big and unattainable, you can make them happen if you truly believe in them. But more than just believing, you have to put in the work as well; Nothing is easy,” she said.
“People obviously see your LinkedIn updates that you just got a new position, but no one sees the two years of really hard work that you did in between. So, making sure that you're doing that as well, I think it’ll get you there just a little bit faster.”