Senior Circuit...Michael VaughnMichael Vaughn hails from Kershaw, S.C., a small town SSE of Charlotte. When Kershaw’s former mayor, a Wofford alum and father of one of Michael Vaughn’s friends, suggested to Vaughn that he visit Spartanburg, Vaughn listened.
“My interest in Wofford originated in his experiences here,” said Vaughn. “In the application process, I came across the Bonner Scholars program. While the financial advantages of being a Bonner Scholar were certainly attractive, I found the synthesis of scholarship and service here incredibly compelling. Once I was accepted by the Bonner office, my decision was made.”
Because of Bonner, Vaughn says he has been involved in a wide variety of activities in the Spartanburg community and beyond during his four years at Wofford.
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“For two years, I interned with Piedmont Care, a Spartanburg-based HIV/AIDS social services organization,” he says. “In my time as a Bonner, I've also worked at nonprofits in Greenville (S.C.), Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Uganda (left).
“On campus, at various times I've been active in Sigma Nu, Alpha Phi Omega, Wofford Theatre, the Pulp Theatre, Spectrum (Wofford's gay-straight alliance), NETWERC, the Residential Learning Community for the Arts, the Pre-Law Society, and AWARE. I'm currently helping to lead advocacy efforts to offer domestic partnership benefits to faculty and staff of Wofford.
“When I tell people that I go to Wofford, I often get comments about the strength of our school's academic reputation. I am always quick to point out that, though Wofford offers an incredible experience in the classroom, the unique and challenging opportunities outside the classroom were just as important to me.”
Vaughn began at Wofford as a psychology major with no real academic exposure to psychology. That led to a change in his academic future.
“My interests in high school had always been centered on literature, and I found it hard to resist here as well,” he said. “I had always had the impression that teaching was the only option for people who graduated with degrees in English. In talking with English department faculty, I realized the diversity in interests and aspirations of Wofford's English students. I later added on a concentration in Gender Studies. I am deeply interested in the politics of gender and sexuality and my transcript already reflected that, so being a part of the concentration program was a natural fit.”
When he graduates later this month, Vaughn’s next step academically will be a déjà vu experience in a couple of ways.
“I will be attending law school at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., starting in August, he says. “After deciding to attend Hamline, I realized that the similarities between it and Wofford are striking. Both are Methodist-affiliated schools, both were founded in 1854, and both have centrally-located buildings called Old Main. Pretty weird.
“After I get my JD, I'd like it if my work was centered around the legal recognition of gay rights. I'm generally interested in civil rights and civil liberties and would love to work for an organization like the American Civil Liberties Union, LAMBDA Legal, the Southern Poverty Law Center, or other similar groups.”
Though his Wofford career is full of great memories, one does stand out.
“My favorite memory of Wofford - and without question the best night of my life - was election night in 2008,” he says. “Planning the gathering months in advance, my roommates and I had far more people in our apartment than seems reasonable (or even possible) in retrospect. Friends were packed in anywhere they could fit and still see the television: sitting on the backs of couches, standing in the kitchen, reclined on the floor, uncomfortably piled in one another's laps. I remember opening the windows and adjusting the air conditioning to the low 60s - in November - because of the intense heat of so many people in such close proximity.
“People eagerly awaited the results from each state, talking excitedly and trying with limited success to figure out Wolf Blitzer's incomprehensible electoral maps. We analyzed the data together, compared discussions from our various classes, waved our political memorabilia, and indulged in our individual nervous tics as state-by-state results began to come in. We felt somewhat confident of what the outcome would be, but that confidence had no impact at all on the weight of the anticipation in the room.
“At exactly 11 p.m. when the results were officially announced, many in the crowd found themselves with tears streaming down their faces, voices hoarse from yelling, and hugging whoever happened to be next to them, friends and strangers indistinguishable. As the caption flashed, "CNN Projection: Barack Obama Elected President," I embraced people I'd known for years and people I'd known for a few hours with equal zeal. Our cautious optimism transformed into a frenzy of celebration, any boundaries between us as individuals ceased to exist for the evening.
“Looking around the room amidst the cheers, I realized that the incredible diversity of this country, the diversity President Obama praised and extolled in his victory speech, was in my living room. We were Caucasian, African-American, Latino/Latina, male, female, gay, lesbian, straight, Christian, atheist, and most anything in between, united in one small space and jubilant over the same victory. While I had long been an Obama supporter and was thrilled in that regard, it escaped no one that one of the most important events in American history was playing out in front of our eyes. Like so many young people in America, we felt immense pride in the small parts we all played in helping to make his election possible.
“While students sometimes joke about "the Wofford bubble," since that night I have had difficulty describing the school in such a way. Wofford may feel small sometimes, but on election night, I realized that those feelings can translate into a 1,400-person family. While we might have our disagreements, tensions, and dissatisfactions - like any family does - I can't think of a family I would've rather been a part of.”