Allie’s been dreaming of becoming a social worker since 7th grade. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her grandmother Peg (Prosser) Black, who graduated from Union in ’71 and has been a social worker ever since. Allie started as a double major in Sociology and Psychology but later decided to add Substance Abuse Counseling so she would be better prepared to serve clients with chemical dependencies.
“I didn’t have to take 22 credit hours,” she says, “but I’m a 3.8 GPA student, I have people around me to motivate me, and I was like, I can do this.”
Allie’s commitment to service, community engagement, and academics aligns with Union’s core values and runs deep in her family. Not only did her mother and grandmother attend Union, but her father Kenton Wiliams ’98, uncle Philip Black ’92, and grandfather Ed Black ’64 all graduated from Union, as well.
In fact, after first coming to Union in 1960, Ed Black stayed for 40 years until his untimely death in 2000. He not only earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and honorary doctorate from Union, but he also served in a variety of well-respected faculty positions. Alumni remember Ed for his engaged role on campus or know the Edward H. Black Technology Center named after him.