Will Leathers, a senior at Southern Methodist University, is finishing college the way he started it—leading with purpose and surrounded by community. As Student Body President and Social Chairman of Sigma Nu, Will has embraced every opportunity to serve, grow, and represent the people around him.
Originally from Tupelo, Mississippi, Will double majors in Business Management and International Studies. He’s been involved across campus as a Student Ambassador, a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, and a Hunt Scholar—one of SMU’s top leadership scholarships awarded to just 20 students per class. But for Will, the most meaningful title has been “brother.”
“When I ran for Student Body President, my fraternity backed me 100%,” he said. “They helped with campaign videos, got out the vote, and were there every step of the way. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Leadership, Will says, isn’t something that came out of nowhere—it was forged in real experiences. “If you can help lead a group of young men in a fraternity, you can lead in the business world,” he said. “It’s taught me how to motivate people, how to communicate, and how to lean on others when you need to. Sigma Nu helped me grow in ways I never expected.”
On campus, Will is known for his positive presence and steady leadership. He was recently awarded “Outstanding Leader” by his chapter and says being elected Student Body President is one of the proudest moments of his life.
As he looks toward the future, Will hopes to work in sports—particularly shaping the future of college athletics through NIL. His long-term goal? Becoming a general manager of a professional team or leading a university athletic department. Politics is also on his radar, but he’s keeping his options open.
None of this, he says, would have been possible without the people who believed in him along the way—his family, his friends, and his Sigma Nu brothers. He also credits the McCallie School in Chattanooga, where he served as Student Body President in high school, for giving him the courage to run again in college.
With big goals and a grounded mindset, Will is showing what it means to lead by example.
