Alpha Sigma Phi - University of Washington

8 French Polynesia and working on a crew for Lockland Murdock. "I worked on a crew for Lockland Murdock, Rupert Murdock's son—the owner of Fox Enterprises," continued Will. "We did the chartering photos of his sailing yacht. We did a three-hour heli- copter shoot on Teti'aroa, a small atoll in the Windward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, at the Marlon Brando Resort. It was a great opportunity to see some of the most amaz- ing scenery in the world. Three hours hanging out of a helicopter was a crazy experience". Recognition for some of the best surf photos of 2015. "Tahiti is where I found one of my passions, which is surf photography," continues Will. "I captured some of the most iconic surf photos of 2015. I had several pictures published in Surfline Magazine as well as one as a feature on the main page of their website. One of my pictures was used to show the best ride of the year for women surfing by Keala Kennelly, one of the world's top surfers from Kauai, Hawaii. I also captured the worst wipeout of the year from surfer Niccolo Porcella." Red Bull marketing campaign and Surfer Jaime O'Brien. "I was also on the crew as a photographer for the Red Bull marketing campaign where we lit Jaime O'Brien, a professional surfer from North Shore, Hawaii, on fire with the help of a stunt crew. He did wild surfing Teahupoo's, which is known as the heaviest wave in the world. He was the first man lit on fire in the barrel of a wave. TRAVELING WITH A CAMERA Will and his camera have traveled to many countries stretching from one side of the globe to the other, including French Poly- nesia, Romania, England, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Mexico, France, Netherlands, Cuba, Ireland and others. Cuba. "Earlier this year," begins Will, "I went to Cuba with five fra- ternity brothers. We went over spring break to experience the culture and to see what has been blocked off due to political restrictions. We stayed in Havana for seven days taking photos of the historic city and experiencing the welcoming culture of the people. It was crazy seeing a communist socialist country that has been frozen in time like a still photograph for over 60 years. I photographed the 1950 streets of Havana with its old Cadillacs, Thunderbirds, and Mercurys—all old American classic cars. The people had not experienced many modern luxuries of life." Ireland. "I spent last summer," continues Will, "studying abroad in Ireland. I traveled from Dublin to Cork, to Dingle peninsula, through Waterford, and stayed in Galway. In Offaly, I had the amazing experience staying in the Kinnitty Castle where I had the chance to network with a group of US Navy Seals. We stayed at the castle for the dedication of Michael Murphy, the first U.S. Navy SEAL officer since the Vietnam War to receive the mil- itary's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. He was being honored posthumously for his bravery during the War in Afghan- istan, where he died when his team was compromised by the Taliban. Murphy is one of the characters in the movie Lone Sur- vivor. The ceremony was held at the castle because the pilot of the Blackhawk that was downed, Bryan Bean, is a partial owner of the castle. We also had the privilege of visiting with Michael Murphy's mother. " More Networking in Ireland. "In Ireland," continues Will, "I joined 24 students from the UW Foster School of Business studying the Celtic Phoenix Econom- ic Model. The trip was led by our professor, Leta Beard. In this four-week program, we networked with executives from 20-plus companies, including Amazon, Facebook, Ernst & Young, Dixon Carpets and others. Getting a global perspective from multi-na- tional companies outside of the United States from Ireland, which has gone through so much political and economic turmoil, was an enriching experience. We even had the opportunity to network with an Irish sheep farm. FORTE OF LEADERSHIP As sharp as Will's eye is for capturing images, his astute and perceptive mind is equally as sharp when it comes to business and his career in marketing. Will sees things done before they are even thought of by most people. Because he is so emphatic and visually discerning, he sees what is needed and what is possible. And others are motivated to follow him. Will helped start a business fraternity, Phi Chi Theta, on the UW campus two years ago. Founded in Chicago in 1924, Phi Chi Theta is one of the largest, professional business and economics fraternities in the U.S. It is a coed and international society. "I was one of the founding members on the team when we char- tered with the national fraternity," Will stated. Will Wilson at Mt. Hood, Oregon. Photo by Joey Johnson '16

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