Prioritizing mental health in your organization is critical for student leaders! At 28, William Walker has worn a lot of titles—author, fraternity president, cancer survivor, board chair. But the most honest title might be: in process. He was 22 and had his whole life planned—until cancer stole his vision. Will was 5 when leukemia first taught him that life doesn't follow your timeline. He has rebuilt his life through vulnerability, structure, and community support—and that rebuilding process becomes the foundation for leading others through their darkest moments.
In episode 590 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out how Will's experiences with leukemia, bipolar disorder, and leadership roles in Phi Kappa Psi shaped the way he views leadership today, what he means when he says his struggles qualified him for leadership, what are the early warning signs of a personal crisis within your student organization, how vulnerability, structure, and community support helped him to rebuild, what crisis taught him about leading when no one's watching, what does "creative capital steward" mean, a moment when a dream he had for his life died and what replaced it, how storytelling, journaling, or poetry actually make us better leaders, and how to prioritize mental health in your organization. Enjoy!
Connect with Will on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-walker-fpqp%C2%AE-a82a3534b/
