Will was born in rural central, Powhatan County, Virginia. He was still in high school when he was first introduced to King, a school that would become a large part of his life. It was during his junior year of high school that his sister enrolled at King. The family took trips often to visit her and attend popular events like Dogwood. “I loved it,” Will said of the campus. “Everyone was so friendly and welcoming,” Will said. “I got to know the campus and some of her friends.”

Will enrolled at King two years after first visiting the campus. He studied piano majoring in music and pursued a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. He sang in the choir and a few other smaller groups around campus. He was also very active in the King theater and participated in every production they had during his time at King. He was most interested in the technical side of things in the theater, what went on behind the scenes. “The quality of the education was very high,” Will said. Today Will is the technical director at Emory and Henry College.

“My years at King were very special. Those are critical years in a young adult’s life. The small-college setting was what I needed,” Will said. He felt like making connections and getting to know people was easier in the smaller environment. Upon learning of his receiving of the legacy award Will says, “It is such a humbling experience to have others say we want to recognize you, that my family and myself deserve to be recognized. I’m very grateful.

King continued to play an important role in Will and his family’s life over the years. Each year beginning in 1997-98 his family would hold their reunion on the King campus. “Back then, we used to stay at the dorms, eat in the dining hall and swim in the pool,” Will remembers. King was always so generous to its alumni and made everyone feel like they belonged. I the summer of 1996, his family planted a tree outside of the fine arts building in memory of his grandfather who began having the reunions. The tree is no longer there, but the memories will last forever. And for Will and his family that is what it is about, creating those priceless and unforgettable moments and will live on.