“He served all he could, and assembled a village to impact lives.”
This is how Vaughn Williams, Director of Athletics, would like to be known for during his tenure at Kennesaw State University. He has built his foundation on servitude and creating memorable experiences for students.
When Vaughn Williams first stepped on campus, he was astounded by how diverse KSU was and how new the facilities were. He automatically felt the warmness of the community. It did not take him long to realize that Kennesaw State University was the place to be.
He does so much, not only for the internal community of Kennesaw State University, but also for the external community of Cobb county. He prides himself on branding opportunities to branch out and make Kennesaw State more of a household name. Cobb county is a great location with a very large population, and Mr. Williams wants to reach out to the entire community.
He puts student athletes through something called the Owls Championship Initiative. This program serves as an incubator for student athlete success. Setting students up with internships and other useful resources with business leaders in Cobb county and Cherokee county to help choose a career. With the connections made through the Flight Plan, student athletes are able to build a bridge for the rest of the student body to also benefit from these companies looking for Kennesaw State students.
During his time here, he has already made history by being the first Kennesaw State University Athletics Director to be presented with the “Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year” award. The day the winner was announced was just another day in the office for Mr. Williams. When everyone began to surround his work space, he wondered if it was someone’s birthday. When he found out about the award, he was in disbelief that he had won such an honor. He attributes not himself for the award, but the staff and the university as a whole.
He spends his time off with his wife and their three young children, and maybe even watching a sci-fi movie or reading a good book. Overall, he loves what he does so much that nothing feels like work to him. While his dream job has changed from oceanography to engineering to what he is today, assisting young people is what he loves to do. From the time students step on campus until after they walk across the stage, Vaughn Williams will be helping them every step of the way.