Show #11 | Interview of Dr Patrick Anthony Williams

The Haitian FREE Thinkers Show

Dr. Patrick Anthony Williams, Ph.D. is a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar to Japan, a 1984 Silver Knight Award recipient in Foreign Language is a certified educator in the state of Florida. Dr. Williams is a motivational speaker, education consultant, researcher, and instructional strategist, who speaks seven languages, plays classical piano, sings opera, and lectures extensively at numerous universities within the United States and around the world. Dr. Williams is a man who not only knows of success, but knows of adversity as well. He is dyslexic due to a fourth grade accident when a nail was driven into his head. He was frequently teased by classmates for being ‘stupid’. So he learned to focus on academics and to study much longer than his classmates. These are habits that are still with him today. After graduation from high school, domestic problems left him homeless while attending Florida International University. He slept in the university buildings, in the street or, later, in a car given to him by Dr. Ana Roca. As a result, he started talking about dyslexia, homelessness, suicide, self-esteem, multiple intelligences and learning styles. Now, as a high school teacher, he understands the difficulties of his students and has developed professional practices to address their differing needs without sacrificing achievement.