Peg Williams

Bio

After attending Cowley, Williams graduated from Southwestern College in 1984 with a BA in Philosophy. Williams went on to receive a Master's Degree in Education from Southwestern College in 1985.

She began working at Cowley College in 1980, initially starting as an administrative assistant to the Financial Aid Director. She went on to become a Financial Aid Director, an administrative assistant to the athletic director and men's basketball coach, a faculty member, a member of the Peaks Program, and a dorm manager.

In the early 1970s, Williams and others began following the men's basketball team. At the time, there were no dorms and a tiny cafeteria.

"We would have cookouts and other things for them," Williams said. "We called ourselves "The One-on-One Club". In 1980, when I began working at the College. I moved to a big house with three apartments and five bedrooms. It was only four blocks from the campus. Some volleyball players lived in one of the apartments, and several stayed with us. There were kids coming and going all the time."

During the summer of 1981, several men's basketball players lived in one of the apartments.

"We spent hours on the porch talking about their culture, home life, etcetera," Williams said. "I learned so much that summer."

Williams' baseball involvement began in the Fall of 1995 when a young man walked into her Intro to Micro class.

"He made eye contact, which doesn't happen often, and had this mischievous grin which lit up his face," Williams said. "I soon got to witness his humor. After a couple of weeks, I invited him to dinner, and he brought along his friend. What a ride those two took me on for the next two years. All the way to a National Baseball Championship in May of 1997. Well, the rest is history."

For the next 20 years, Dave and Darren (Burroughs) sent many amazing young men to Williams to bring into her home.

"I still had volleyball and basketball girls, plus whoever the guys would bring to dinner with them," Williams said.

Williams estimates she has been a foster mom for at least 70 Cowley College student athletes.

"I hoped to give them a comfortable place to come when they were homesick and missing their families back at home," Williams said. "I wanted them to know that I was there whenever they needed a mom."

Williams' daughter, Mandi Hernandez, said her mother's involvement with Cowley students as a foster mom has been a source of strength and purpose throughout many of life's challenges, including loss, divorce, and loneliness. "Opening her home to students has not only supported them but has also brought her comfort and connection during difficult times," Hernandez said. "Honestly, I can't remember a time in my life when we didn't have a Cowley College foster student as part of our family. She doesn't have foster students now, but has adopted the Storbeck Dorm with Stephanye Edwards and me."

Williams considers Cowley College to be her home since the day she walked through the door in 1965.

"It has been there to celebrate the good things that have happened to me, but more importantly, it has been there to prop me up during the saddest times of my life," Williams said.

Williams said there are too many fond memories to list of her time at Cowley. However, a couple that come to mind are: One being up for homecoming queen while attending Ark City Juco. Two, spending the week in Grand Junction in May of 1997, watching the Tiger baseball team beat all the odds and fight their way to the National Championship.

"It was one of the most amazing weeks of my life," Williams said.

Cowley head baseball coach Darren Burroughs is grateful for what Peg has done for his program and other athletic programs at the school.

"She has welcomed numerous student-athletes with open arms and means so much to the school," Burroughs said. "I am proud of Peg and happy to see her rewarded for her efforts."

Being named to the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame is an honor Williams can hardly believe.

"This honor means more to me than I can express," Williams said. "I am not sure I deserve it, as all I did was enjoy a great group of amazing athletes and great young people."

Former Cowley College baseball player and assistant coach Brock Buckingham, now the head baseball coach at Pittsburg State University, was one of Peg's foster athletes and shares the sentiments of many other student-athletes whose lives were affected by Peg.

"Momma Peg has left such a positive impact on her student-athletes," Buckingham said. "There is no doubt that Peg had a hand in helping shape the futures of many Tiger athletic alumni. I cannot imagine there is anyone who has bled orange and black more than this special lady."