When Nastasia Williams graduated from Washington High School in 2004, she did not have to look far for a place to continue her education.
“I graduated in the top 10% of my class so I received a scholarship to KCKCC that covered almost everything at KCKCC. I only had to purchase my books,” she said. “It was a good transition into adulthood. I had this feeling of home and was still local. There was a comfort level being on campus.”
Originally Williams
thought she wanted to go into education and become a teacher. However, a part-time job at Nebraska Furniture Mart changed the trajectory of her life.
“I started as a cashier, and I thought it would only be this part-time job while I went to school,” she said. “But I continued to progress within NFM, and I never left.”
After graduating from KCKCC in 2006 with an associates degree in general studies, Williams continued to work at NFM and advance in different areas. She eventually went back to school and earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Bellevue University in 2011.
“Working here (NFM), I learned that a lot of the leadership you have in business is similar to teaching,” she said. “It also has a better income to provide for a family. A career in business is something I knew I wanted after working alongside different managers here and having the different opportunities within NFM.”
Over the last 20 years, Williams has served in a number of different roles at NFM including working in the warehouse, Operations Manager and general sales manager. She was named store director for the Kansas City, Kan. location in 2022.
KCKCC, she said, helped prepare her for the various positions she has held at NFM.
“They make the coursework relevant to the workplace. It ties to real life learning,” she said. “I hope KCKCC is around for another 100 years and continues to thrive. You can get a great education right here in Wyandotte County.”
