“Don’t take anything for granted”: Luke Willis Senior Spotlight

by Cassie Nash, Staff Writer

Senior Luke Willis is a business management major from Waverly, IA. One fun fact Willis shared is he and his cousin won the state tennis tournament in doubles during their senior year of high school. 

Willis plays on the baseball team for the Storm as an infielder. Last season, he appeared in 28 games, recording 23 hits, and helping the Storm to an 18-23 record.

Baseball is one thing that got Willis to commit to Simpson, but the community as a whole was also a factor. On his visit, Willis felt the welcoming environment Simpson offers.

“I came to Simpson because of how welcomed I felt not only by the baseball team but also by the Simpson community,” he said.

Reflecting on his past four years, Willis shared some advice that he would give to his younger self.

“Don’t take anything for granted. Life is short, and college is only a small portion of life,” he said.

He also offered some advice to incoming first-years.

“Have fun with your friends while you’re here because your time here will go by fast,” Willis said.

And that is certainly true for Willis as his time at Simpson is coming to end. He will be graduating in May with the hopes of working in the insurance industry sometime after.

With all the classes Willis has taken with different professors, John Walker, assistant professor of management, has been his favorite.

“It feels like he genuinely wants his students to succeed and he is fun and easy to talk to,” Willis said.

Being an athlete where your teammates become a second family, it’s no surprise that Willis’s favorite Simpson memory is baseball-related.

“My favorite Simpson memory was the trip we took as a baseball team to Florida my freshman year,” he said.