Keegan Williford
Immunology Major
UAB Gulf Scholar
Q: Can you share a memorable moment or experience from the program that had a significant impact on you?
Before joining the Gulf Scholars Program (GSP), my education was defined by labs, lectures, and textbooks. That changed when I stood at “the end of the world” in Venice, Louisiana, watching the Mississippi River collide with the sea. Traveling through rural Alabama, Mississippi, and New Orleans, I did not just see the Gulf South - I felt its resilience, urgency, and stories.
From June 15-18, 2025, I joined the R/V Point Sur Excursion as part of the Mississippi River Delta Transition Initiative (MissDelta). We navigated hundreds of miles, collecting water samples, studying sediment layers, and recovering seabed cores, yet the most transformative part was not just the science. This experience brought out collaboration with students and mentors from diverse disciplines, bringing me out of my comfort zone and allowing me to see the Gulf South through interconnections between scholarly activities across universities in the Southeast.
This experience shattered my assumptions about education and rebuilt my sense of purpose. I learned that true impact lies at the intersection of knowledge, people, and place. Without the GSP, I would have never been able to experience this opportunity and have the ability to develop as an advocate of the Gulf Region.
Q: How has the Gulf Scholars Program encouraged you to engage with and make an impact on the Gulf Coast region?
The GSP brought me into the real world of public health and human advocacy, by creating hands on, community inspired experience. Beyond the influential service to the community, such as volunteering with community organizations like Glass Half Full in New Orleans, these powerful opportunities have helped me see how local initiatives can spark meaningful regional change. It has been the ability to collaborate alongside students locally and regionally along the network of the program that has made the most impact on me and my education. Everyone in the program is driven to solve problems and exchange ideas to support our common goals. As someone from the Metro-Atlanta area, this program, through the faculty and students, has expanded my world. They have affirmed that someone like me can engage meaningfully in Gulf issues, becoming a leader with appreciation for perspective learning in the Gulf South.
Q: How does your major/interests connect with the components and themes of the Gulf Scholars Program?
My major in Immunology and my passion for public health connects deeply with the mission of the GSP because we share the same belief: communities deserve the next generation of young leaders who are willing to learn, collaborate, and lead with purpose. Members of the Gulf Scholars Program cohort and I are dedicated and inspired to generate the next big ideas impacting our futures.
Throughout my time at UAB, I have witnessed the realities faced by many Alabama residents, especially in rural areas where basic medical care is limited or missing entirely. Instead of discouraging me, these experiences have fueled my determination to become part of the solution.
It has been through my time in the GSP and its commitment to interdisciplinary problem solving, which has led me to a cohort of motivated students and faculty. I have found that real change happens when scientists, engineers, physicians, artists, and community leaders come together with a shared vision for resilience and equity. That approach reflects exactly how I hope to shape my future in medicine by understanding not only the science of health, but the environmental, cultural, and social forces that define it. I believe Alabama is full of untapped potential. The Gulf Scholars Program gives me the platform, mentorship, and inspiration to help turn that possibility into reality.
Q: What would you say to students considering applying to the Gulf Scholars Program?
My advice, if you have ever had an idea of being a world changer for someone in your community and you are hungry to get out of the classroom, tackle real‑world problems, and prove you can think bigger about the problems in your community, the Gulf Scholars Program is where you belong. It can be messy, as I have been knee deep in mud multiple times, and challenging. But that is exactly why it matters, and what makes the Gulf Scholars Program special. Definitely apply, the opportunities are limitless, backed by peers and faculty wanting you to succeed, giving students from all backgrounds the opportunities to make their impact.