• Razorbug Diploma Tour •

Her mother and grandmother had front-row seats to watch Meredith Williams receive her framed diploma for an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work offered online by the U of A. The presentation June 26 in a parking lot of a church in Searcy took place more than a month after the official commencement ceremony in Fayetteville, but it meant just as much to Williams and her family.

Children and fellow teachers from the church daycare where Williams worked at the time joined the small family group.

"The ability for them to be there that day was amazing, since my grandmother doesn't have the physical abilities to make it to a formal ceremony," Williams said. "My aunt and cousin were also there. We have a small family, and as we have lost people, we've worked to bring our circle even tighter."

The stop was part of the Razorbug Diploma Tour organized by the Global Campus. The 2005 converted Volkswagen Beetle with hooves, razor spine, curly tail and snout provides the centerpiece of an event repeated the past three summers in small towns across western, southern and eastern Arkansas. U of A faculty and staff celebrate the accomplishments of graduates who earned degrees online without leaving their jobs, families and communities. The U of A offers more than 90 degree and licensure programs delivered partially or completely online.

Williams completed an undergraduate degree at Harding University in Searcy, and some of her professors there told her about the online social work master's degree. Harding, the largest private, Christian university in the state, offers a bachelor's degree in social work but not a master's degree. At 22, Williams is among the youngest graduates honored on the Razorbug Diploma Tour. Staying near her close-knit family for another year proved to be the right choice for Williams. She is very close to her grandmother, she said. Her grandmother helped her mom raise her and her sister while her father worked three jobs.

"I had some family loss and medical problems occur during my year in school," Williams said. "This made me so grateful to be home. Both of my parents lost someone near to them within two months of me starting my graduate degree. My ability to support my parents emotionally included a lot of time with my grandma as she grieved our family loss and the changes she had with home care needs. We lost my uncle who helped share the load of my grandmother's care. The adjustment was pretty big, and we still feel it today."

Alishia Ferguson, director of the master's degree program and associate director of the School of Social Work in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, presented Williams with her diploma before the boisterous crowd of children got to call the Hogs.

Williams worked part time at the church daycare for four years, teaching and taking care of some of the same children the entire time.

"My mom is also an educator, which made her a big supporter in my learning," Williams said. "I wanted to be a helping professional growing up. Those around me always asked if this would be as a teacher like my mom, but I had other plans."

For a while, she thought she would become a nurse, until she started nursing school.

"I had to reassess my career goals when I realized how uncomfortable I was around blood," Williams said. "I happened into social work by talking with some friends. I stayed on this path as I learned that I could make a difference for people in the classroom or school setting without being a teacher. I feel like this path has given me the opportunity to support families in work and the personal time to spend with my loved ones."

Ferguson recalled Williams' work ethic, positive attitude and burgeoning leadership stance.  

"I teach Research II in the fall, and it's not one of the classes that students enjoy," Ferguson said. "Meredith worked hard. Through that class, she put together a solid and successful final capstone (project), and she even went above and beyond by presenting her research results at the National Association of Social Workers – Arkansas Chapter Annual Conference in Little Rock in March 2024. Through her actions, she demonstrated leadership skills that we like to see as students move into the profession."

Her education finished for now and her licensure exam passed, Williams recently moved from her home in Higginson, about 5 miles south of Searcy, to Fayetteville to work as a mental health professional for a behavioral health system that provides counseling services in local schools.

"The ability to move to Fayetteville has given me the chance to follow where my heart was leading me," Williams said. "I am able to see what great things the public schools here are doing to support students. With that, I feel my family's love and know of their support each step of the way. I am very thankful for the digital age we live in to help me stay connected." 

The 2024 Razorbug Diploma Tour is in its third year. The Razorbug was on loan from the Office of Admissions. Global Campus staff drove the Bug more than 2,100 miles through western, southern, eastern and central Arkansas to present 16 diplomas in 15 counties. Only two of the graduates earned bachelor's degrees. The rest were master's degrees and one doctorate. In academic year 2024, the U of A awarded 1,013 online degrees and certificates.