Liam Diaz-Williamson
In just his sophomore year, religious studies major Liam Diaz-Williamson is captain of the Capoeira Club, vice president of the Religious Studies Student Forum and a research assistant exploring the African diaspora. His next goal? Teaching high school students.
Interview by Jordan Ferguson
Can you share a little about yourself and why you chose Georgia State?
I’ve lived in Atlanta, in the same house, my entire life. I had always heard of Georgia State, and when I went and visited, I fell in love with the campus. It’s about 10 minutes away from my house, so it’s a convenient drive. Georgia State ended up being the only school that I applied to.
What’s your major?
I'm a religious studies major — a field I knew I wanted to pursue long before I went to college. My dad was a religious studies major, and I knew I wanted to be like him when I grew up. There’s so much religious diversity in Atlanta and in the world. With so many current events involving religion, I think it’s important to understand or at least have a background in it.
What are your career aspirations?
I want to go into teaching. I’ve taught martial arts for 10 years. Ideally, I’d love to teach something like religious studies in a high school setting because most people don’t take a course like this until they get to college. I think it’s important to have a basic religious literacy to better understand what’s going on in the world.
Your campus involvement complements your major. Tell us about your leadership and research roles.
I am part of three organizations on campus. First, I’m the vice president of the Religious Studies Student Forum. I’m working on spreading the word about the religious studies major and our club so that more people know about it and can take part in it. You don’t have to be a religious studies major; any Georgia State student interested in religion can join. I’m working on trying to create a space where students can come to talk and feel safe.
I’m also the president of the Capoeira Club. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian form of martial arts. I discovered it in college and become passionate about it. It’s kind of like the Religious Studies Forum in that not a lot of people know about it. I’m working on trying to find people who are interested in capoeira and want to participate in the club. We practice and study the traditional movements, the songs and instruments that go with the movements, the history, and other cultural practices related to capoeira.
In addition, I’m a member of CASA [Center for the Advancement of Students and Alumni] through the Humanities Inclusivity Program, a two-year research assistantship where I’m paired with a faculty member who helps me with my own individual research project. Some of my research project involves the religions and cultures of the African diaspora, which capoeira is part of. That’s allowed me to mix two of my passions.
How is Georgia State helping to prepare you for your future?
The Department of Religious Studies is all about preparing students for the next steps in our careers, whether that’s going into business, law or teaching, or becoming a professor. The department even offers a class called Applied Religious Studies, where the goal is to sit, brainstorm and learn about how you can use religious studies in your future.
I’ve also taken advantage of University Career Services. When I applied for the research assistantship position that I have, I needed some help creating my resume, filling out a form and practicing interview questions. University Career Services was really helpful.
