Photo courtesy of Baird Williamson
RICHMOND—Among a crowd of your run-of-the-mill first-time college students at Virginia Commonwealth University, Baird "Barry" Williamson is an anomaly. He currently has an Associates of Science degree with a focus in chemistry, but at 29, he is now pursuing a degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in broadcast journalism—a feat nearly six years in the making.
Born on Feb. 4, 1981 in San Diego, Williamson moved to Seattle with his family as a child. They spent three years there before his father’s status in the Navy sent them overseas to London, England, where they lived for four years. Later, Williamson moved to Florida, where he and his family spent a year each in Pensacola and Jacksonville, before settling in Northern Virginia, where his parents currently reside.
“I don’t think I’m a [significantly] interesting person,”he says. “I’ve just been able to live in some awesome cities, and was really fortunate to have lived in them.Of the many cities he has lived in over the course of his childhood, Williamson considers Seattle his favorite.
Williamson’s academic career began early . During his four years spent in London, Williamson was a member of a team of scholars called Odyssey of the Mind that took part in an international competition at the University of Maryland. His team placed last, but he looks back on that experience with fondness. Williamson also was an all-area player for football and lacrosse for North Stafford High School in Stafford, where he graduated with honors in 1998, an accomplishment of which he is particularly proud.
Williamson attended college steadily for two years, but took a break mid-way through his undergraduate studies to pursue other interests. He waited tables for four years before becoming manager at Bone Fish Grille. Soon after that, he quit his job at the restaurant and returned to school, choosing VCU because he liked Richmond and thought that being admitted into the university wouldn’t be difficult.
“I’ve never liked the idea of college [but] it seems to be the thing you need to progress in most career fields,”he says.
After moving to Richmond, Williamson became a bartender, and currently works at Mezzanine,a restaurant in Richmond. He credits his job as a way of being a better judge of character.
Upon graduation from VCU, Williamson wants a job in news production, although many of the courses of Mass Communications students consists heavily of print and broadcast news writing. When Williamson is not studying or doing schoolwork, he works during the weekends and spends a considerable amount of his earnings on food and wine. He also tries to play basketball as much as possible, works out occasionally, plays a lot of video games—“probably too many”—and is a self-described movie buff.
As far as his immediate plans go, they are pretty undemanding. He is currently in the process of moving into a house mid-way through September that is closer to campus to make his commute to and from classes significantly easier.
“He has all the gifts and talent in the world, but lacks direction and focus, “says Ardell Williamson, his mother. “I hope he finds his way.” If this older undergrad continues to following along the path toward his degree, finding his way is sure to take place.
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