Peer Mentor Arthur joined the NAN Project team in January and contributed significantly to the second half of the school year. Thoughtful, articulate, and always looking for ways to meet students where they’re at, Arthur brings a calming presence and a deep sense of purpose to each classroom he visits. His ability to listen and speak with intention helps students feel seen and heard, something that resonates deeply in every conversation.

When asked what made him want to work with The NAN Project, Arthur shared,

“I get to help people envision a future, or at least a version of it, that they might want but are unable to imagine for themselves… I just want to show as many people as possible that we do not have to put that puzzle piece together alone, ignorant, and in isolation. Some pain is unavoidable but we can bear it together.

Arthur’s lived experience, paired with his dedication to advocacy and community care, makes him a vital part of our mission. We’re grateful to have him on the team and excited to see the continued impact of his voice and leadership. Read his full interview below:

1. What is your name? What are your preferred pronouns? And when did you start working for The NAN Project? 

My name is Arthur Williams, Jr. My pronouns are he/him. I started working for The NAN Project this January (2025).

 

2. What made you want to work with the NAN Project? 

I am diagnosed with ADHD, Bipolar II Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Before working for The NAN Project, I was a 1-to-1 Paraprofessional in Boston Public Schools. I worked with a child with a developmental delay and Autism. I did this in a class of children with similar diagnoses. It was a very fulfilling job. As a high-functioning person with ADHD, it was striking to see the similarities I had with the children. The most significant difference, however, was the quality of life I was able to afford through my ability to advocate for my needs. I found myself constantly advocating for my student’s resources, dignity, acknowledgement of his abilities, and potential. It was my role to envision what he could become and push him toward it because he did not have the ability to do so for himself. Pushing against an entire system in this way is challenging, and ultimately, my impact on the students and the overall community was limited by my role. 

I decided to leave BPS to work for The NAN Project because my role here is to inform and uplift the total Greater Boston community through the work we do here. How do we give people, not just children, the tools to help themselves? We pass on information, experience, and resources as we learn about them. How do we help people find strength? We get out there, we show them they’re not alone, let them know that we, as Peer Mentors, are success stories. We show them community and courage, and make them aware that there is support, and that someone out there who doesn’t know your name and has never seen your face, cares about your personhood and your family. I get to help people envision a future, or at least a version of it, that they might want but are unable to imagine for themselves. I spent a long time not knowing what healthy looked like. I just want to show as many people as possible that we do not have to put that puzzle piece together alone, ignorant, and in isolation. Some pain is unavoidable but we can bear it together.  

 

3. Can you tell me about how your cultural background connects to your mental health?

I wish I could say it does, but it does not. I come from an African-American family that made its way here during the Great Migration, on both sides. There are a lot of emotions, by design, that black people have been deprived of showing with acceptance and normalcy. Anger, sadness, pride, dignity, love, and joy. Vulnerability has been and is a tool constantly used to our detriment. Black people throughout history have been mistreated and abused horribly by the medical industry. My family, across the generations, stayed away from certain kinds of medical help for good reason. 

As a male, stoicism was the option that disguised emotional stuntedness. I was a black sheep because I was never able to manage that level of suppression, and it was likely because most of my energy was spent masking. Sometimes curses become blessings in that way. And while recommended with good intention, because they have seen it work in their own lives, the church alone was not enough to overcome my challenges. I had to dive into this headfirst without much help, simply because almost my entire family had no contact with behavioral health issues and had trouble navigating a certain spectrum of emotions. 

 

4. Did you ever imagine yourself working in the field of mental health. 

I never expected it. When I went to college, I had a 2, a 5, and a 10-year plan and declared my major in Biochemistry. I expected to be a researcher in academia at this point in my life, likely with or on my way to getting my PhD. 

 

5. Have you had any student questions or comments that especially stuck out to you? 

A boy in middle school said, “My Dad is a hard man. Like, hard. How do I tell him about this?”. There was so much awareness and so many layers to that question. I was reminded again how often we underestimate the complexity, insight, and clarity of a child’s inner world just because they often lack the vocabulary to express it. It also stuck with me because, in a room where everyone but me was a woman, there was a huge disconnect between what he was asking and what they were answering. I was reminded again, in a profession that is about 77% women, of the importance of a male presence in schools. I’m not going to get into that issue. However, I did get to give him the advice that I wish someone had given me, and I’ll never forget the excitement and visible relief on his face. He looked like he had laid down a burden.  

 

6. How does it feel going back to communities you grew up in and presenting there with The NAN Project? 

It feels great. I can’t say that I’ve been in areas where I grew up, but cultures, identities, and challenges translate similarly across the region. I have seen kids of color nod their heads when I recount the difficulty I faced with my spiritual community. I’ve seen young men go from joking, laughing, and pretending to sleep to asking intense and meaningful questions. Giving back to the collective, all of us as a community, I feel blessed to be able to answer the questions, “What can I do?”, “When will it end?” and combat narratives like “No one understands, and no one will.” It is an incredible thing. I am grateful.  

 

7. How do you think hearing a NAN Project presentation would have affected you as a kid?

I think I would have found a reason to fight for myself in a way I didn’t know existed. I would have endured less shame, guilt, embarrassment, and criticism. It wouldn’t have taken me years to rebuild my self-esteem. I wouldn’t have hurt myself so ruthlessly in pursuit of expectations and external validation. But there are no ifs, and it’s hard to say what I would be. It’s possible that I’m healthier now than in that potential world, haha

 

8. What advice would you give to yourself as a younger kid? 

Stop telling yourself to grow up. It’s not normal to be treated like you’re 18 when you’re 11. Stop bottling your feelings. It’s not normal to almost pass out from anger or be curled up in the fetal position when you’re 13. Keep chasing your joy. It’s not normal to put down everything you love because your grades are dropping. And keep going. The future is only the future because nothing is decided yet.

 

9. Can you tell me what inspires you the most? 

My family, my bros, my wife, and the few beautiful people who helped me on my journey. Some of those people became collateral in the wake of my growth. Those people I cannot thank in person, so I’m also inspired to pay their goodness forward. 

 

10. What are your plans for the future? 

    

Keep it truckin’! I’m currently working on a poetry book. Look forward to it! I’m also getting my bachelor’s degree in business management. Working hard to prepare for having a family in the next few years (not rushing, but hey). I plan to spend more time with my parents and some aunts and uncles. I also just started running my first Dungeons and Dragons campaign with my wife and brothers! My youngest brother just made legendary Pokémon canon so he can have some cool sneakers, and I’m all for it. I’m enjoying working on tying that into the story, plus a bunch of other cool stuff! And of course, work for The NAN Project. Thanks for having me!