As the Student Government Association’s 2023-2024 president, junior history major Devan McArthur Campbell recently helped with FMU’s adoption of the WelVista program.
Campbell is an active member of the FMU community. In addition to being a member of SGA, Campbell is vice president of the Tau Kappa Epsilon chapter at FMU, head delegate of the Model UN, a member of the honors program, a resident assistant and a diplomat.
Originally from Greenville, SC, Campbell believes his experience at FMU has deeply impacted him, stating that, since his move to Florence, he has been blown away by the community and academics at FMU.
Reflecting on his past three years at FMU, Campbell said there were too many great memories to single out a favorite.
“From move-in day in August of 2021 to me attending a trip to New York City for Model United Nations in the spring of 2022 and to me being sworn-in as the president of the student body of Francis Marion University, I hold all these memories close to my heart, and I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given here at Francis Marion,” Campbell said.
Campbell believes that being involved on campus has helped him form viable, life-long connections.
“The most beneficial thing I’ve gotten from being involved on campus is the connections that I have made with President Carter, the administration within Stokes and the connections I have gotten to make with every FMU student that has crossed my path,” Campbell said.
However, being involved in many organizations comes with a large demand for his time. Learning how to manage his time wisely was a tough skill for Campbell to develop, but one that was necessary.
“The perfect way to manage your time is to remember to make time for yourself,” Campbell said. “If you work around the fact that you have to make time for yourself, then every other objective on your plate will fall in place.”
As the vice president of TKE, Campbell feels there are a lot of misconceptions about Greek life. He encourages those who are thinking about joining a fraternity to seek more information, as his fraternity has become a second family to him.
“My best advice for anyone interested in Greek life is to just do it,” Campbell said. “I was one of those people two years ago that had the misconception of Greek Life, but now that I am a member of it, I found that it is more than just an organization and a brotherhood. They are my family, and I am beyond grateful to have the support from my brothers. If anyone is interested in Greek Life and has any questions, I would be more than willing to help anyone find their place on campus within Greek Life or organizations in general.”
Campbell plans to stay in Florence after graduation and teach U.S. history at a local high school. He also hoped to pursue his master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Carolina and eventually run for public office.
Campbell has had two major role models in his life, his high school band director and Francis Marion’s president, Fred Carter.
“I have two role models in life,” Campbell said. “Leaving high school and coming to FMU my high school band director Jeff Norman, was my biggest role model. Sadly, we lost Mr. Norman over Christmas break from complications from a surgery. I will always look up to him and I hope to be half the man he was. He is the one who taught me leadership at a very young age. Then here at FMU my biggest mentor is President Carter. His leadership is absolutely incredible, and I look up to him and everything he has done for Francis Marion University and the state of South Carolina.”