Will Vaughan, a tall, not-so-dark, and handsome boy from Memphis, Tennessee, constantly devotes himself to helping others. He’s President of the Black Student Coalition, Vice-President of the Tau Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, captain of the Club Soccer team, co-captain of the Shades of Brown step team, and a dedicated volunteer at Urban Ministries. Will also enjoys singing music from “Frozen,” reading Marx, and doing the dougie. Yeah, I know. He does everything. When I asked him what legacy he wanted to leave behind, he said, “I want to leave Davidson as a person who built bridges between races and built relationships with people who do not look like me or the majority of this campus.”
Although he puts forth his best efforts in every organization he is involved in, Will thinks his most important contribution to Davidson College is his current role of BSC president. He sees it as a symbol of who he wants to be on campus. He wants to work with an organization that is a figurative bridge between races, classes, and gender. I asked him what he thought about the comments made on Yik Yak last year about him being the first white president of this organization. He responded, “A lot has been made of the white guy coming in to save the day, but that is not what I’m trying to do or what this is about. It’s about me being passionate about the BSC. It is about it being successful as an organization that is inclusive and it building the same bridges that I work to promote on campus.”
His hard work is not hindered by summer “vacations.” This summer Will Vaughan interned at Speak Up, a street magazine that is sold by homeless vendors who keep the profits of their sales. It is an entrepreneurship opportunity for people who are or have been homeless. The organization helps them build income and develop a sense of who they are in relation to the broader society. His favorite part of the internship was going out on the streets and getting to hear people’s stories. Although not everyone was receptive to the idea of working for Speak Up, he knew his efforts were not in vain.
Since I knew Will pretty well before interviewing him, I had a feeling he would be taken aback by his nomination for Campus Celebrity because he doesn’t necessarily love the limelight. Nonetheless, he was happy, because in being well-known he realized Davidson students really care about bridging gaps and finding people who are different and unique. “I feel like it is a representation of what Davidson is about.”
So if you don’t know Will Vaughan already, you really need to change that. He’s graduating this year, so this may be your last chance!