A Reflection from Student to Intern
Written by Eviana Williams
As my engagement with the Expose Excellence Youth Program has transformed from being a participating student to a dedicated intern, so too has my perspective on the organization.
While in high school, I learned about Expose Excellence during my sophomore year. I first engaged with the organization by attending their Texas Capitol field trip, where myself and numerous other students were able to learn about the capitol’s function and converse with knowledgeable professionals. From this experience alone, I knew being involved in Expose Excellence was an irreplaceable opportunity to interact with my community and its leaders, access mentorship, and build key skills in self-advocacy, initiative, and service to others.
For me, Expose Excellence wasn’t just an organization that created opportunity but also one that cultivated ambition. Participating in this program supported my ambition with the skills, connections, and mindset to succeed. At the unveiling of the Fort Bend County Justice Center’s Restorative Justice Mural, I met DA Brian Middleton for the first time, an opportunity considered rare in many communities. It was at this event, among a sea of faces so crucial to the success of our county, that I realized the professional heights awaiting me, if I seized my ambition and put it to work.
The following summer, I experienced my first internship at the District Attorney’s Office, a feat I wholeheartedly attribute to my involvement with Expose Excellence. In my subsequent high school years, I participated in the program’s Exposing Black Artistry event and numerous volunteering opportunities. Initially, the program’s connection to art surprised me; their law-focused youth initiatives seemed at odds with a mission of embracing youth artistic expression. However, I now realize that Expose Excellence was teaching us self-discovery through art, thus preparing us to pursue careers that align with our passions while fulfilling our ambitions.
In May 2025, I graduated high school with immense optimism for my first year of college at The University of Texas at Austin. I was a recipient of the Chakilla and Judge Lewis White Scholarship, another achievement I learned about from EEYP. I believe that the organization didn’t just open doors to scholastic support but instilled the habits necessary for my collegiate success: the drive to join numerous student organizations, a dedication to serving the community, and an ambition to connect with community leaders and create opportunities previously unimagined.
After an involved yet demanding freshman year, I returned to Expose Excellence as their summer 2026 intern. Through this internship, I’ve had the eye-opening opportunity to witness the substantial planning, coordination, and communication that goes into every event. From their Youth Law Enforcement Academy to the Freedom Tour field trip, every event and its participants are afforded the same importance. In meaningful ways, I’ve been able to use my perspective as a former student to contribute to the program’s mission. Whether I was composing curriculum frameworks for different grade levels or performing classroom management, my work has been insightful and very often, fun.
The most rewarding part of this experience has been seeing how many students benefit from Expose Excellence’s activities and being reminded of my own beginning in the program. It’s exciting to witness a curious student conversing with a guest speaker, a quiet student taking a leap of courage, and a classroom of students learning something new. Regardless of setbacks or obstacles, I’ve seen EEYP remain dedicated to their mission of empowering the youth.
A lesson that I’ve learned from engaging with this program in multiple roles, is that community relationships are essential for success. As a college student, the relationships I’ve strengthened within Expose Excellence continue to support me into professional roles. As an intern, it’s clear that community relationships and support are one of the driving factors of the organization. Not only do community stakeholders and parents allow Expose Excellence to facilitate their programs, but connections to youth across school districts form an ambitious community of students who, like me, benefit from EEYP’s mission.
I entered Expose Excellence as a closed-off yet driven high school student and am completing my fourth year engaging with the program as an involved and accomplished college student with many more aspirations ahead. All in all, my personal and professional development wouldn’t have been nearly as impactful without Expose Excellence.
