Some journeys are chosen. Others are called into being.
For Reynold Williams, leadership and ministry were not sudden discoveries at the University of the Southern Caribbean, they were seeds planted long before he ever set foot on campus. Born in the small but vibrant island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Reynold is the third of four children in a family deeply rooted in faith, service, and the USC legacy itself. For as long as he could remember, USC was not just a university, it was home before it was home as his parents met and studied at USC and his siblings followed in their footsteps.
Now, at just 21 years old and in his final year pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Religion with an emphasis in Pastoral Ministry, Reynold serves as the Graduating Class President for the Class of 2026, carrying forward a legacy that spans generations.
Reynold officially began his USC journey in January 2022, arriving in the shadow of global and personal upheaval. COVID-19 had disrupted education systems worldwide. Back home, a volcanic eruption in St. Vincent delayed CSEC examinations and altered timelines, as transitioning from secondary school into university life under such circumstances required not only resilience but faith.
Upon reflecting with clarity, what once felt uncertain, now feels divinely ordered as Reynold states, “I really came to USC at the right time.”
From the moment he arrived, Reynold embraced the diversity of campus life, the many students from across the Caribbean, the different cultures intersecting, and stories converging. While leaving home was difficult, USC quickly became a space of growth, grounding, and purpose.
Reynold is refreshingly honest: he doesn’t claim to love school. What he does love, however, is excellence.
USC’s motto, “Beyond Excellence” became personal as he adopted it not just academically, but as a philosophy for life. “Even though I don’t like school,” he admits, “I strive to be excellent in whatever I put my hand to.”
Reynold immersed himself in service, leadership, and campus life, serving within the Associated Student Body (ASB), Men’s Club, spiritual committees, departmental leadership, and eventually as Vice President of ASB before stepping into the role of Class President. Leadership, for him, was never about titles; it was about responsibility, to guide, to uplift, and to leave something better than he found it. That commitment has defined his experience.
Not all lessons came easily.
One of the most defining moments of Reynold’s journey was the loss of his grandmother while he was studying at USC. She was a constant source of encouragement, urging him to stay focused, remain faithful, and pursue success not just for himself, but for the family legacy she believed in so deeply.
Her passing became a turning point. Grief tested his resolve, but faith sustained him. “Through it all,” he says quietly, “God has been good.” As graduation approaches, Reynold carries her memory with him. His success, he believes, is part of her legacy too.
When asked about memories at USC he will never forget, Reynold pauses, not because there are none, but because there are many.
International Student Week stands out, a celebration of Caribbean culture, creativity, and identity. Olympiad events brought laughter and camaraderie. Ministerial retreats offered space away from academic pressures to reconnect with God, purpose, and calling. Singing with the His LUV Choir added another layer of meaning to his experience.
These moments, joyful, spiritual, communal, shaped his understanding of what it truly means to belong.
As president of the graduating class, Reynold’s message is both pastoral and personal:
“Remember where you came from,” he said. “Your journey was not by chance. Count it all joy, even the trials, because they test your faith and refine you. In the end, you will come out as pure gold.”
Rooted in Scripture and lived experience, his words reflect the theme that defines the Class of 2026: Anchored in God, Advancing in Excellence.
What comes next is still unfolding.
Reynold knows ministry is his calling, but the destination, whether St. Vincent or beyond, remains in God’s hands. He is open, waiting, and willing. He speaks with quiet hope about further education, service, and even the possibility of returning to USC one day, not as a student, but perhaps as a lecturer, giving back to the institution that helped shape him.
When asked to describe his entire USC experience in one word, Reynold didn’t hesitate to say “Legacy.” And in that word lives his story, a story of faith passed down, leadership lived out, and a future still being written.
Not as something received passively, but as something actively, and deliberately carried forward. Through loss and leadership, through volcanic disruptions and late-night rehearsals, through the ordinary extraordinary work of becoming the person your family believed you could be before you believed it yourself.
The 2026 graduating class will leave carrying, among other things, the memory of a young man from St. Vincent who showed up, showed out, and understood deeply, clearly, without pretense that the whole point was never the destination.
It was always the weight you chose to carry, and the grace with which you carried it.
