Upon the kick-off of the fall 2025 semester, University of Tennessee at Martin junior Chayil Watkins began his tenure as Secretary General for the Student Government Association (SGA).

As he entered this new leadership position, the Junior Ag Business major from Rossville shared his background, his involvement on campus and his SGA agenda for the school year.

Before he came to Martin, Watkins was raised in a family that had strong roots in the small college town. His father and mother, two residents from Memphis and Bolivar, respectively, met at UT Martin. They even got married and gave birth to their first two daughters while living in Martin.

Despite his parents’ and older brothers’ legacy at UT Martin, Watkins wasn’t originally sure if he would choose to follow in their footsteps. He ultimately decided to choose the school because of its beautiful campus and low cost, among other details.

“The college itself is very community-based. I think the professors really care about…learning and committing the material to [your] memory to make sure that you’re better in your career,” Watkins said.

Before his campaign run for Secretary General as part of the Captain’s Council party, Watkins displayed exemplary campus involvement through his many student organizations.

As the president of professional business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi, Watkins revealed, “I think we need to get a bigger presence and [sic] show the people that we’re all about community service and building up you for the professional world after you graduate.”

Watkins is also the Vice President of Men of Excellence (MOX), as well as a member of the Black Student Association (BSA), Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANNRS) and the Student Alumni Council (SAC).

As Secretary General to the SGA, Watkins aims to make the organization more presentable to the student body.

“[I] want to make sure that they know where they can access…any of the legislation that…might be coming up in the next senate meeting…and then really to make sure that they know what’s going on in SGA from a day-to-day basis,” he said.

He also strives to make sure that the organization embodies a kind, friendly environment that is always willing to help the average student.

“I think one of the big things that we want to push is that we are available for y’all, and that we will be here and to answer any questions you may have,” Watkins said.

Watkins is aware that he has become a well-known and exemplary student on campus, which he attributes to his reliability and work ethic.

“Since I stepped foot on this campus, I’ve tried to make sure that I was involved in a lot,” Watkins said. “So people know that if they call on me for something that I’ll be able to be there to perform to the best of my ability.”

All of this is the exact reason why the Captain’s Council selected him to run with them for their Executive Council campaign in spring 2025. SGA Vice President Ella Self, who had known him since they attended Fayette-Ware Comprehensive High School together, explained the reasoning behind her choosing Watkins as the candidate for Secretary General.

“He’s a gentleman. He’s really driven and hardworking. So I felt like that would translate as we moved up in SGA as well,” she said.

She continued by explaining what they plan to do as a team this school year. “I hope that he accomplishes his goals in keeping out whole senate up-to-date on important events and things going on throughout the year. Chayil’s good at giving us good ideas for events like programming. So going into this year I hope that Chayil can best represent himself in our university or SGA.”

Watkins’ family is overjoyed to know he has become such an influential leader on campus. Civil Miller-Watkins, Witkins’ mother, was not surprised at all when it came to his leadership capabilities.

“One thing [he] learned in Eagle Scouts is not just how to lead, but also how to galvanize a team and to be…a part of something,” she said.

Miller-Watkins went on to say that she hoped he would continue to be involved in the community wherever he goes in life.

“Whether he’s in the country or out of the country, in school or out of school…wherever people come in contact with him and whatever things he does, [I hope] that he leaves it better than [when] he found it.”

When asked to give advice to the student body, Watkins said, “For me, personally, it’s just to get out here, do what you can. It’s not just getting your education, but actually making your connections and networking with other people on campus is really important.”