Former Puget Sound basketball player uses leadership development lessons, mother’s memory to help North Texas student-athletes
Donovan Wilson’s leadership is rooted in loss and legacy.
His mother, Dwanna, who died of ovarian cancer during his senior year of high school, was his “best friend” and a radiant connector whose work ethic and ability to be a light for others still guide him. In every space he enters, from the University of Puget Sound [PM1] to the NCAA to the University of North Texas, Wilson believes his purpose is carrying her light forward — serving people, making them feel seen and heard, and ensuring that impact, not titles, defines his success.
“There are so many things that I’ve learned and gained from her,” said Wilson, now assistant director for student-athlete development at North Texas. “It still is a challenge not having her in my life. Something I’m proud of is just being able to carry on her legacy through every adversity, every up, every down, from when I was 17 to now at 26, and I’ll continue carrying that wherever that goes next.”
In addition to the lessons he carries from his mother, Wilson has used experiences in NCAA leadership development programs to make an impact in college athletics.
He was part of the student-athlete leadership training program while playing basketball and majoring in business administration and African American studies at Puget Sound. He participated in the Emerging Leaders Seminar while interning in the athletics department at Colorado, and he served as an NCAA postgraduate intern.
Wilson has been pushed out of his comfort zone, especially during a tumultuous time while he was a sophomore at Puget Sound at the start of this decade. As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted lives worldwide, the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor sparked social unrest throughout the country. Wilson watched in horror at the images on his television and phone and knew he had to do something.
“There were a lot of Black kids on campus who were football or basketball players, but I noticed that a lot of us weren’t really well connected,” Wilson said. “So another guy who was on the football team and I took it upon ourselves to create a group for student-athletes of color and an affinity group, so I got more involved in the campus community and the surrounding Tacoma community. That’s where I started to align my passion of creating spaces for people that look like me, have similar backgrounds or just marginalized people in general.”
This is part of his personal philosophy of intentionally making others feel seen, valued and connected through his authenticity, passion and presence. Those traits were instilled by his family, strengthened through NCAA leadership development programs and nurtured by mentors who consistently invested in him .
Wilson is quick to point out that his journey is not a solo act but the product of a village that believed in him. Mentors such as Sheridan Blanford, DaWon Baker, Niya Blair Hackworth, Felicia Martin and Lamarr Pottinger have opened doors, advocated on his behalf and challenged him to grow.
Blanford, formerly the associate athletics director for diversity, equity and inclusion at Washington, answered a cold email from Wilson. She later helped him land a role at Colorado and secure a full scholarship at Washington for his master’s degree. At Colorado, Baker trusted him with meaningful DEI work; and leaders like Hackworth, Martin and Pottinger modeled excellence at the NCAA. Together, they have poured into Wilson’s development, offering the kind of intentional support he now strives to replicate for the student-athletes he serves.
“The reality is, yes, we’re here to do work and make sure student-athletes graduate and all of that,” Wilson said. “But at the end of the day, it’s about serving people. That’s what keeps me going in every space I’ve been in, through all the ups and downs. If I can impact even just one person in the room — through a program, a conversation, whatever it is — then I’m doing what God has called me to do.”
That calling, he believes, is the clearest way he can carry his mom’s legacy forward.
Wilson knows his mom would smile at the village around him. In every text thread, every huddle and every quiet conversation with a student-athlete, he’s building the kind of community she modeled — one defined by care, connection and service.
Tomorrow’s Leaders, Today
This story is part of the NCAA’s Tomorrow’s Leaders, Today campaign, which showcases how the college sports experience helps student-athletes build the skills and character traits that contribute to lifelong success.
Through leadership development opportunities such as the Emerging Leaders Seminar and NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program, the NCAA helps current and former student-athletes develop skills, build relationships and prepare for careers in college sports and beyond.
Learn more about NCAA programs.
