Associated Student Body President OC Williford is hoping to use her presidency to lower costs for students, increase student success and serve the University of Mississippi student body to the best of her ability.
Williford started in ASB as a legislative aid on the rules committee during her freshman year. For her sophomore year, Williford became a senator representing the College of Liberal Arts and quickly rose through ASB ranks. She was voted in as principal of academic affairs on the president’s cabinet. For this most recent ASB term, Williford served as chief of staff under her predecessor ASB President Jack Jones.
“The night that Jack Jones won the election last year, he asked me to be his chief of staff, and upon my confirmation, he said to me, ‘I hope you know that we both just won ASB president,’” Williford said. “Throughout the year, he really showed me that (his statement) meant it was a complete partnership between the two of us. He really valued input on everything, really valued trust. He has become one of my closest friends and closest mentors.”
Williford hopes to introduce new policies and continue pushing initiatives currently in the works. Her main focuses are the ongoing university-wide attendance policy and lowering costs for students.
“We want to partner with local businesses within the community to implement student discounts. We also are going to be looking at parking tickets and working through lowering prices on those,” Williford said.
Williford played a large role in collaborating with Ole Miss Athletics to lower concession prices during the 2025 football season. She said she will continue talks with athletics to further reduce prices and enhance the overall football game experience for students.
She also wants to implement an awareness campaign on driving under the influence and an opportunity for graduating students to take pictures inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
“Ole Miss had one of the highest percentages of DUIs in the SEC, so we’re going to look at warning students about the dangers of drunk driving,” Williford said. “We’re also trying to capitalize on tradition. A lot of the reasons that people come to school here is because it’s a smaller SEC school … so we’re going to be looking at having graduate photo sessions in the Vaught.”
Beyond these goals, Williford plans to continue adjusting the university’s attendance policy — an initiative that has been in the works for three years.
“Currently, we don’t have a bereavement policy for Ole Miss. That’s the number one change that we’re looking to add with the attendance policy,” Williford said. “The second most important one is for our students who are representing the university at athletic events. Football, cheerleading, band — anything like that, looking to add that into the attendance policy, so there is a concrete, listed item where these students will be able to miss class and make up (work) within reason.”
There are a range of issues that Williford is wanting to address this next ASB term, but she believes that she and her team are up to the task.
“We really do have a very widespread bucket list of policies, but I served as chief of staff this past year. I know what it takes,” Williford said.
Williford puts a strong emphasis on empathy, viewing the campus through their perspective to better understand campus concerns.
“My goal as (ASB president) is to listen to the students and listen to their personal experiences,” Williford said. “Looking at campus life through other students is really how I create policies but also continue to grow my heart for this place.”
Above all else, Williford wants to make a difference for the students on campus and for the university community.
“Ole Miss owes me nothing, but it has given me everything,” Williford said.
