Rooted in Love: One Dad’s Path to Parenthood, Pride, and Purpose at Wake Forest SPS

In celebration of Pride Month, meet Corddarryl Williamson-Rose, a new dad, husband, student at Wake Forest SPS, and co-author of We Love You ForAva, a children’s book celebrating love and family in all its forms.

Corddarryl Williamson-Rose started graduate school in April of 2024. He was excited to begin this new journey; he was a brand-new father, having adopted a baby girl with his husband just five months earlier.

“For a moment, I thought to myself, ‘What did I get myself into?’” Corddarryl recalled.

But Corddarryl had anticipated challenges, and before he enrolled in the online Master of Communications program at Wake Forest’s School of Professional Studies (SPS), he did his best to gauge how the university and the program would fit into his life.

“At the very beginning, I told Wake, ‘I’m a new dad, and we’re a same-sex couple. We just adopted a few months ago. Is this going to work for me?’” he said.

The answer was yes.

The story of how Corddarryl got here is long and winding (as all good ones are), and it is one defined by perseverance, authenticity, and love.

Developing a Passion for Communications

Corddarryl was born and raised in the South, in Augusta, Georgia.

“Growing up in church, I never really spoke about my sexuality. I was not put in a space where I could share that, you know?” he recalled. “But I expressed myself in other ways. I was a young boy of the arts.”

Corddarryl loves dance, singing, and acting. Over time, those passions evolved into a love for communications. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from St. Augustine’s University, a historically Black college and university in Raleigh, North Carolina, and then started his career in marketing and customer service roles at Google and later Verizon Business.

Eventually, though, a corporate layoff led Corddarryl to a job as a mail carrier with the United States Postal Service. While it wasn’t his ideal role, he admits it came with a significant perk: he met his husband, Jeffrey, while on a mail route.

The two met in 2015 and have been inseparable ever since. 

The Journey Into Parenthood

Corddarryl always knew he wanted to be a father, but he didn’t always know how that dream would take shape. Then, a year or so before their wedding, the couple discovered an adoption agency that specialized in working with LGBTQ+ families. They embarked on the lengthy process of exploration and interviews and eventually agreed this was the right path for them.

While they matched with several potential candidates, nothing felt 100% right—until they connected with a young mother who was six weeks pregnant and looking for a same-sex couple to adopt her baby.

“From the moment we connected, it has been the perfect story,” he said. “We were there from the beginning. We helped with her birth plan and went to as many doctor appointments as we could. Over time, Ava’s mom became like family to us.”

On December 19, 2023, Corddarryl and Jeffrey became the proud parents of Ava—and the next phase of their journey began.

An Unexpected Return to School 

From the moment Ava was placed in their arms, life took off. It was during this time that Corddarryl also began his journey at Wake Forest SPS.

Corddarryl spent nearly a decade with the U.S. Postal Service, eventually advancing into a role that encompassed communications, training, and development. But he aspired to something more firmly rooted in communications. His husband encouraged him to go back to school, but Corddarryl was hesitant.

“I did not want to go back to school,” he recalled. “I just thought, ‘No, I’m in my mid-30s. I just don’t think I want to go through that again.’”

At Jeffrey’s insistence, the couple started researching different schools and graduate programs—and it was his husband who found the program at Wake Forest SPS.

“He said, ‘Listen, I found this program, and I think you should look into it.’ My goodness, I did, and it’s been a ride ever since,” Corddarryl said. “It hasn’t been an easy feat by any means. There were times I was literally joining a live session on Zoom while bathing my child or prepping dinner with her strapped to me.”

But all of those challenging moments were met with equal support from Corddarryl’s professors and peers.

“Wake is a community that is so amazing and so supportive,” he said. “I feel like I belong.”

A New Chapter of Advocacy and Storytelling

Corddarryl and Jeffery’s path to parenthood has been unique and, at times, difficult—but it’s also one filled with love and joy. They decided they wanted to share that with the world and collaborated together to write We Love You ForAva!, which officially launched on June 1st as Pride Month kicked off.  

This children’s book follows the everyday moments shared by two dads and their spirited daughter. It’s a story that celebrates the beauty of modern families and the love that brings them together.

“Love comes in all forms,” Corddarryl said. “We want this to be a legacy not only for us, but for our daughter. And for every little queer boy out there who hopes to one day embark on the journey of love, of finding the right partner, and being able to build a beautiful family—we hope it sends the message that you, too, can have that.”

To purchase the book or follow along with Corddarryl and his family’s journey, visit their website.