Seneca Wilson, Director of CENTERS at Jackson State University, shares his journey and invites NIRSA students and professionals to follow in his footsteps with support from the NIRSA Foundation.
I never imagined having a career that I would love. Growing up in the projects, in a poor community, I felt like I was never good enough and I didn’t matter. I am grateful for NIRSA and my NIRSA family for providing me with a community, student and professional development, and financial support to be successful in the field of campus recreation. Through NIRSA, I found a home, a sense of belonging, and the feeling that I matter and the work that I do matters.
Before college, my only goal in life was to be the first person in my family and neighborhood to attend a four-year university. I accomplished that dream when I attended the University of Southern Mississippi in the Spring of 2000. I made it to college, but I wasn’t truly able to navigate college successfully until I met Chris McGee, my boss, and the Assistant Director for Facilities at the time. In 2001, I started working for Campus Recreation at USM, and Chris introduced me and several other student employees to NIRSA and the field of campus recreation.
Each year, Chris would take about 20 students to the Emerging Recreational Sports Leaders (ERSL) Conference. I fell in love with NIRSA because of the people that poured support into me at the ERSL conferences. Then, one day Chris told me that I could have a career in the field of campus recreation if I wanted it. Like most people, I didn’t realize that campus recreation was a professional field, but I trusted Chris because he was like a father figure to me. Chris developed me into a student professional and took me to my first NIRSA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL in 2005.
At the conference, I was able to attain a graduate assistant position at Oakland University, working with Demond Pryor—now Assistant Dean of Student Engagement at the University of Toledo. I am grateful for Demond because I’m sure I wasn’t the best interviewee—I mentioned the wrong school’s name in the interview. But because Demond gave me a chance, I believe he saved my life in that moment. He said that he saw something special in me. Demond polished me up as a young professional and helped me receive my first professional position at Syracuse University in 2008.
As a young, passionate professional, I was ready to give back and grow into the leader I was preparing to be. Like Chris and Demond, I developed my student staff, brought them to ERSL Conferences, Region I and NIRSA Annual Conferences, and polished them as young professionals. However, after seven years at Syracuse University I wasn’t able to grow into the next level senior leadership position. After a tough decision, I decided to take a lateral move and join CENTERS at Jackson State University in 2015.
At Jackson State, I continued my efforts to develop students, but we didn’t have the same financial resources to attend conferences as I enjoyed at my previous universities. That year, along with one of my students, I decided to apply for the NIRSA Founders Scholarship to receive financial support from the NIRSA Foundation. Because of the NIRSA Foundation and the members who donate to the Foundation we were both able to attend the 2016 NIRSA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL. That was the conference when my mentor Stan Shingles asked me to open the event with a poem to honor NIRSA’s founder, Dr. William Wasson and the Association. I will be forever grateful for that moment because it gave me an opportunity to show everyone what Demond saw in me.
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Later that year, I became the Director of CENTERS at Jackson State University, and now I have the honor to serve as the Director of CENTERS at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In addition, I also have the pleasure to serve as the President-Elect for the NIRSA Foundation Board of Directors. Educator and author Dr. Dennis Kimbro says, “Service is the price we pay for the space we occupy.” I am so grateful for NIRSA and my NIRSA family for believing in me and giving me a chance to live my dream. I will continue to serve and give back to the Association that gave to me.
Take advantage of the NIRSA Foundation scholarship opportunities and attend the 2024 Phoenix NIRSA Annual Conference & Campus Rec and Wellness Expo. As I can attest, the NIRSA Annual Conference is an incredible experience for seasoned professionals as well as future leaders, and the Foundation is here to support your growth and connections.
If attending NIRSA 2024 Phoenix is one of your goals (and I really hope it is), set yourself up for success and apply for a NIRSA Foundation scholarship!
Scholarship applications are open through Tuesday, November 21.
Scholarships and travel grants are available thanks to our generous donors! Gifts from NIRSA members, corporate partners, and other campus rec supporters have allowed the NIRSA Foundation to provide over 1,000 scholarships (and counting) to date.
