PSA Scholarship Student Spotlight: Michaiah Williams

Michaiah Williams

The Office of Public School Academies is proud to offer an annual renewable, academic scholarship to incoming freshmen and currently enrolled students who are graduates of schools chartered by the university. This scholarship has helped aid and support various students in their pursuit of higher education. Michaiah Williams is a former Detroit Edison Public School Academy (DEPSA) student now attending Oakland University and is a recipient of this scholarship.

Michaiah Williams is a rising senior majoring in Film Production with a minor in Studio Art. She attended DEPSA from second grade all the way through 12th grade graduation. She landed on Oakland as her final choice after meeting with an OU representative at a college fair in high school.

Her four-year college career has been an informative experience with the most memorable part of her studies being the ability to apply skills she learned in the classroom to everyday life. In addition to film production, Michaiah also has a special interest in collecting trinkets and all things handmade, “At some point in this timeline, I would like to be a stop motion animator and I know that requires a certain amount of tiny things.”

Michaiah is grateful that the PSA scholarship covers all the unforeseen expenses that come with pursuing a higher education, “I never have to worry about whether or not I can take the class I want to take because I know for a fact that the PSA always has me covered.”

If she were able to give her younger self a piece of advice, it would be to emphasize the importance of enjoying the college experience by making friends and being sociable. Additionally, she stresses the importance of viewing college with a different perspective, “College doesn’t have to be all deadlines and good grades (of course you want to do well), nothing is final, you have plenty of time to figure things out or switch your major if you would like.”

With an expected graduation date of May 2026, Michaiah is excited to step foot into the world and make a mark.