The McKinney Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome Courtney Williams as our 2025 Summer Intern, in partnership with AEYL (Alliance of Elite Youth Leadership)! AEYL is dedicated to developing a diverse group of teens and young adults by creating pathways to accessibility, exposure, and opportunity—with a focus on higher education, economic empowerment, and community development.
About Courtney
Courtney is a rising junior at McKinney North High School and an accomplished student-artist with a deep passion for music, theater, psychology, and community service. She’s active in both varsity choir and theater, a three-time All-Region Choir member, and a state-level performer through the Texas Thespians Festival.
Beyond the stage, Courtney’s achievements include:
-
Member of Samaritan Inn Teen Action Council
-
Co-MC for Delta Gems’ End of Year Ceremony celebrating education and Black excellence
-
Participant in the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) Neuroscience and Psychology program at Duke University
This summer, she brings her creativity, curiosity, and leadership to the chamber as she explores professional development and future career paths. Courtney will be shadowing each member of the chamber team to learn about how the chamber serves businesses in McKinney, as well as helping with organizational tasks, and engaging with community business leaders. We are excited to welcome her to the team!
Read Courtney’s Bio Below
Hello, my name is Courtney Williams. I am sixteen years old, and I come from a family of five, myself being the middle child. I have two sisters, one who is twenty-one and attends Brown University for Graduate School and another who is fifteen and a sophomore at the same school I attend, Mckinney North High School. Some of my hobbies include making jewelry, thrifting (almost all the jewelry I wear is either handmade or thrifted), spending time with my sisters whether that be going out for hours on end or watching YouTube videos at home, roller skating, hanging out with my friends, and going to concerts. I love Rock, Rap, R&B, Pop, K-Pop, and Latin music. I love several types of media like movies, TV shows, videos, and podcasts. A few of my favorite movies are Pride & Prejudice, Mamma Mia, Emma, The Craft, and Little Women.
I adore music and acting, which have led me to participate in choir and theater throughout my middle school and high school career. Some of my favorite musicals are The Falsettos, Hadestown, Hamilton, The Color Purple, and Newsies. I am in both the varsity choir and varsity theater and have played a part in five shows since starting high school. My favorite show that I have done was Night Chills, which is a collection of Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories. A few of my dream roles of mine are Persephone in Hadestown, Donna in Mamma Mia, and even though I have outgrown the role, Annie. One of my favorite things my theater department holds is an annual Haunted House where the seniors pick the theme, run the rooms, and the whole department dresses up and scares everyone going through the attraction. However, the things that the people going through say or do often end up being more concerning than the haunted-looking children. At our state competition, The Texas Thespians Festival held by The International Thespian Society, I competed with two contrasting monologues and qualified for the week-long International Thespian Festival’s national competition in Indiana at the end of this month. In choir, I am a three-time All-Region Choir member and have earned superior rankings on my solos in competition.
Outside of school, I spend time doing volunteer work and I am a member of the Samaritan Inn’s Teen Action Council and a member of the CCAC Delta Gems program where I recently co-MCed the end-of-year ceremony celebrating education and Black excellence. I am also a member of the AEYL program, which gave me a wonderful opportunity to intern here and gain valuable experience in the workforce. Last summer, I did the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) Neuroscience and Psychology program at Duke University where I spent time learning about the brain, several types of disorders and treatment, methods of gathering information, and career paths to take within the field. During my stay, I got to explore my love for Psychology and start the path to pursuing it in college. While I do not start applying for college until next year and am in no rush to, I am applying to Duke University, UNC, Howard University, UT, Loyola University, LSU, and Georgetown for my undergraduate degree. I want to pursue my PHD or PsyD for psychology to be a practicing therapist as well.
When I am not busy, I tend to spend time by myself as I am quite introverted, however, I do still love spending time with others once my social battery is recharged. While school takes up a lot of my time with activities and homework, I try to make the most of my free time on weekends by spending time with family, watching a movie or show, going to the mall with a friend, or simply taking a much-needed nap. One thing that I have learned about myself since starting high school is that I am not a fan of being extremely busy, but I also do not like feeling unproductive. So, I tend to gear towards flexible schedules whether that be with friends or other activities. While school can be very time-consuming and challenging, I have had an overall positive experience and as I am going into my junior year, the reality of it ending is very surreal. However, I am trying to live in the moment and plan accordingly for the future.
