Alumni Profile: Lalah C. Williams ’22

Lalah C. Williams has worked for two U.S. Senators since graduating from Chatham in 2022.

Even with all her education about government, Lalah C. Williams was still surprised when she saw firsthand how much work happens behind the scenes in the U.S. Congress.

First there was the shock of seeing how many people are on staff for just one senator; Lalah works alongside more than 40 people as a staff assistant for Senator John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democrat who was sworn into office in January.

Before that, she was an intern for Chris Van Hollen, the US Senator from Maryland.

And before that – just one year ago – she received her undergraduate degree in Policy Studies from Chatham University.

“I did a lot of things when I was at Chatham,” she said. She was involved in voter advocacy training, student government, and the Black Student Union, which she still follows online.

“I see them on social media, and I’m like, ‘Oh, y’all are doing so well,’” she said.

Her time spent in The US Congress class (POL300) was her first peek behind the curtain of Congress, and it was there that she began to picture herself working in the federal legislature. That course led her to participate in the Public Leadership Education Network’s “Women and Congress” seminar, where she was able to meet women who worked in or with the federal legislature.

“It was there that I saw a future for myself in legislative politics and led me wanting to intern for a member of congress,” she said.

Much of her time in her office is spent speaking directly with constituents, taking questions and comments on everything ranging from the environment to education and the senator’s health.

“People contact their members of Congress for any and all kinds of things,” she said, “Even for things that you didn’t know were part of the state.”

She was able to land her job in Sen. Fetterman’s office after developing relationships with people in higher-level positions that she wanted to advance to when she was an intern. But getting her internship in 2022 meant sending out applications everywhere she could.

“I was applying, applying, applying for positions,” she said. “As you know, it was an election year, so there were a lot of positions opening up.”

But as her internship was ending, she began to hate hearing people ask what she was doing next, because she realized she still had more work she wanted to do before leaving the congressional offices.

“I’ve wanted to be here for years,” she said. “I realized that there is a lot here that I wanted to learn. I wanted to learn how offices run.”

It was at Chatham that Lalah learned about John Fetterman, when he was still Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor. She familiarized herself with his platform and said she admired his authenticity.

Her time at Chatham was defined by the many ways she decided to get involved, but she also said she asked a lot of questions of everyone and tried to show that she had “a commitment to service.”

“I’ve been invested in community service since I was 7 or 8,” she said. “I’m a lifetime Girl Scout, so that’s where that comes from.”

Now, she stays connected with the Chatham alumni network in Washington, D.C., and she says the University still holds a big place in her heart.

“I love Chatham. I rep Chatham all the time. There is much pride.”

Mick Stinelli is a Writer and Digital Content Specialist at Chatham University. His writing has previously appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and 90.5 WESA, and he has a B.A. in Broadcast Production and Media Management from Point Park University. Mick, a native of western Pennsylvania, spends his free time watching movies and playing music.