How Will Leathers is shaping student life at SMU

Published here on SMU Daily Campus

Students filled the chamber of Hughes-Trigg Student Center at SMU, buzzing with quiet conversation as senators took their seats for the weekly meeting. Wearing a light blue long-sleeve button-up shirt, SMU Student Body President Will Leathers addressed the room.

He began with his officer report, announcing updates from Homecoming Weekend and upcoming campus events. Leathers nodded attentively before offering clarifying answers, his tone calm but confident.

“Are there any other pressing questions that anyone else has to ask me?” Leathers said, glancing across the room as hands hesitated in the air.

Leathers lingered near the podium, chatting with senators who stopped by to ask follow-up questions. Laughter and side conversation echoed across the room as students gathered around to share feedback or ideas for campus events.

For Leathers, serving as student body president is an opportunity to lead with empathy and purpose. His role includes helping plan major student events and proposing new campus traditions that he believes will strengthen school spirit. Those responsibilities place him in the center of student life and university decision-making, requiring him to balance expectations from thousands of undergraduates with the realities of campus governance. 

At a time when SMU is experiencing cultural and administrative shifts, including the arrival of a new university president, Leathers helped guide students through this period of change. Through close collaboration with President Jay Hartzell, Leathers and Hartzell offer student input on new initiatives and shape projects for the year ahead. This has made his leadership even more visible and positioned him to help elevate the student experience for years to come.

Leathers’ path to student leadership began long before he stepped onto SMU’s campus.

Born and raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, he attended the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, an all-boys college preparatory boarding school. It was there that Leathers discovered how much he enjoys working with students and administration.

He was elected student body president his senior year of high school. That experience sparked an appreciation for working with others and representing those who may not have their voices heard. Leathers worked his way up to his leadership position at SMU by starting as a first-year senator.

“I realized the power that Student Senate has here, the ability to be able to help students that may not have their voices heard,” Leathers said. “As I kind of worked my way up, I realized that President may be something that I want to do.”

Now 22 and in his final year, Leathers balances a double major in Business Management and International Studies with the demands of leading the student body. Much of his work happens alongside Student Body Vice President Jazmin Darjean, with whom he collaborates daily on ideas and campus initiatives.

Darjean says that their relationship is rooted in clear communication and a shared commitment to working collaboratively.

“He really shows that he values my opinion,” Darjean said. “He has done a really great job working with President Hartzell, too, so it has been fun.”

The collaboration with President Hartzell has become a defining part of Leathers’ presidency. The two meet regularly to discuss student conduct, school spirit and upcoming events. This includes their current effort to reimagine SMU’s Founders’ Weekend celebration scheduled for April 10-12.

Student Senate membership chair Hayden Horn said he’s watched the partnership between Leathers and Hartzell translate into real progress.

“It is great to work with Will because he is a passionate leader who has a vision for what he wants to do in his term,” Horn said. “This is in no small part due to his collaboration with President Hartzell. I have seen the two work very well together and complete projects in a matter of days compared to the semesters it has taken to get things done in the past.”

Friends say that Leathers’ commitment to SMU extends far beyond meetings and titles.

“In the four years I’ve known Will, he is always the first to show up to campus events and is always cheering the loudest,” said Claire Wooley, a close friend of Leathers.

Leathers hopes to leave a legacy defined by energy, tradition and school pride.

“I want to be someone that leaves a lasting impact on creating new traditions, increasing school spirit, and just starting off a trajectory of really embracing the work-hard play-hard mentality of SMU,” he said.

Student Body President Will Leathers gives his officer report during the weekly Student Senate meeting on Tuesday Nov. 4, 2025, in Hughes-Trigg Student Center.

Image shot by Olivia Nimmo

When Leathers isn't leading meetings or collaborating with senators, he returns to the routines that keep him grounded. He plays basketball with his fraternity brothers, spends time with friends and makes staying active a priority. Maintaining that balance helps him show up as his best self in a role that demands constant presence.

After the Senate meeting, Leathers paused as another member approached with a question. He listened the same way he had at the beginning of the meeting, fully present and intentional. The chamber slowly emptied, but Leathers stayed until every concern was heard.

Now, he’s looking ahead. One of his biggest goals is to pitch a new Spring Weekend tradition to alumni. This would be a weekend celebration bringing together students, families, prospective students and the wider SMU community. His vision includes transforming Spring Boulevard into a festival-style experience, including a major concert at Ford Stadium.

“I am hoping to bring something by the end of my time that I helped start, something new,” Leathers said.