User:Kwesi Williams 001/sandbox

Kwesi began learning music in fourth grade in Queens, NY where he played percussion. Along with playing music, he was a champion Tae Kwon Do athlete and competed in over 40 tournaments along the east coast placing no less than first and second place in Sparring and Form for all of them. After permanently settling on St. Thomas, Kwesi redirected his focus from Tae Kwon Do and found a deep interest in steel pan music and played in his first steel pan ensemble in junior high school. He was also a member of the Concert Band where he played the clarinet. Kwesi’s musical experience in junior high school lead him to join the Territorial Court Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra, now the Superior Court Risings Stars Youth Steel Orchestra in the summer of 2001 where he played the double second pans (Steel Drums).

Upon entering Charlotte Amalie High School (CAHS) in 2001, he joined the school’s Concert & Marching Bands under the direction of Ms. Georgia Francis. As a member of the band he played Bb clarinet, Alto Clarinet and the Electric Bass and became Drum Major of the Marching Band in his senior year. Kwesi traveled extensively with the band, and competed in competitions in Florida, West Virginia, and New York. Throughout his years of high school, he worked as a dental assistant for Dr. Sonia Taylor-Griffith where he began to gravitate towards a life of dentistry which lead to Business Management.

After graduating from high school in 2005, Kwesi attended Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW). There he achieved great accomplishments in Residents Life where he became the first freshman student to become a Resident Assistant due to his outstanding leadership skills. He was also voted on the GSW’s prestigious Orientation Team where he competed against 75 other students. Due to a tornado, Kwesi’s time at Georgia Southwestern State was short lived and he was forced to return back to the Virgin Islands where he decided to attend the University of the Virgin Islands and pursue a career in music and business in the Spring of 2007.

In 2009 at the University of the Virgin Islands, Kwesi became the President of the Golden Key International Honour Society, a position which he held for 2 years. He lead his fellow peers in renowned community service projects including a clothing drive for the citizens of Haiti, which was started before the tragic earthquake and The Golden Touch Habitat for Humanity Project, which was a project that allowed Senior citizens to receive help from Golden Key members to aid them in providing the labor required to build their home.

In 2011 Kwesi was awarded the UVI Music Award for outstanding performance and academic achievement in the music program. He is also a 2011 recipient of the “Who’s Who Among Students In American Universities & Colleges” which is one of the most prestigious awards the academic community can bestow. This exclusive honor is conferred by more than 2,842 schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Who’s Who Among Students has become one of the most highly regarded and long-standing honors programs in the nation, having earned the overwhelming respect of college faculties and administrations.

Kwesi graduated from the University of the Virgin Islands in 2011 with his Bachelors of Arts in Music Education. Immediately after graduation, Kwesi was accepted into the 2011 Summer Institute for Future Global Leaders in the Caribbean held at UVI. He successfully completed the rigorous 2 week program where he earned a certificate of completion and graduate credit.

In 2012 Kwesi completed his Master's of Science Degree in Entertainment Business at Full Sail University.