North Carolina A&T

Vaughan is the true definition of an inspiring student-athlete. He grew up in a single-parent household in Brown Summit, N.C., raised from humble beginnings but with a strong emphasis on education. Vaughan graduated high school with a 3.5-grade point average, won the North  Carolina Division Class 3A state championship in track and field, and served as captain on the basketball, cross country, and track and field teams. He also had a passion for engaging with the community. As a high schooler, he had the unique opportunity to leverage his media and journalism experience to interview two "Greensboro Four" members during the Woolworth's Sit-In commemoration. 

At A&T, Vaughan continued to excel as a student-athlete while maintaining his commitment to the community. He graduated Cum Laude in four years with a B.S. degree in electrical engineering while running track and field and working part-time. He joined the track team as a  walk-on and ended his collegiate career earning seven individual All-MEAC honors, three out of the school's first four MEAC team championships, individual MEAC  championships, and two national rankings of 6th place (Penn Relays and USATF Junior  Nationals). 

No stranger to adversity, Vaughan experienced a severe hamstring injury in his junior season,  requiring him to stop competing for a short stint. However, he found other ways of contributing by assisting the coaches with returning the javelins to his teammates after each throw. One afternoon Vaughan tested what he learned from his teammates by throwing the javelin as far as possible. When the javelin landed, it traveled further than the throws made by some of his teammates. His coach immediately enrolled Vaughan in the javelin, where he later finished as the MEAC champion during the final event of his career. 

After graduation, Vaughan earned two master's degrees, including an MBA from the University of Chicago. As a corporate executive, he supported billion-dollar brands for several Fortune 500  companies and earned accreditation for two patents. Vaughan is also the founder and CEO of two successful companies that have positively impacted society by creating access to financial literacy and economic stability through residential housing.