Milligan’s new activities director, Juan Villalba, arrived with an almost gravitational field of enthusiasm at the start of the 2024-25 school year—so much so that if you pass him in the hallway, you might feel yourself drawn into the orbit of his student-life fervor. His impossible-to-miss energy suggests big plans, or at least future calendars so jam-packed with color-coded events that your phone’s reminder app might protest.
This isn’t just another “fresh face, fresh ideas” campus announcement. Villalba’s trajectory reads less like a standard résumé and more like an extended prologue, where every anecdote leads neatly to his new role. He has a background in mental health—meaning he carries that subtle brand of optimism that only slightly (over?) caffeinated campus professionals tend to perfect. He’s also spent time at Appalachian Christian Camp, so he’s well-versed in the art of communal fun in large, occasionally chaotic group settings. Now, he’s here with a bright-eyed intention to coax students from the dorm lounge into shared campus experiences—something as lively as a Nerf war or a tubing trip.
“When I was living on campus as a college student, the activities were an important part of my experience,” Villalba said. He isn’t reading from a script; you can see the memories forming in real time. “It’s a place for meaningful experiences that supplement campus life.”
No matter if you’re a star athlete, an aspiring youth minister or the stealth type who heads straight to the library basement—Villalba wants you involved. Whether you go big or keep it low-key, he wants you to feel like you’ve landed in the middle of a genuine community, even if that community occasionally brandishes foam darts at each other.
There’s the unassailable tradition known as Wonderful Wednesday—a campus spectacle so storied that calling it just an event is akin to describing Michael Jordan as some athlete. The day is revered by Milligan students past and present. Villalba has been brainstorming ways to make this year’s WW a standout since he came on board, using the advanced planning methods required for an operation of this scale. Though he’s entertained by mapping out the event’s theme and activities with his team, the smaller moments fascinate him, too—the random trivia nights, spontaneous tubing trips, laid-back after-hours jam sessions. He wants to reach the students who don’t typically raise their hands (or their voices) to join in, nudging them to try something new—even if it’s outside their comfort zone. In other words, he’s the kind of director who might gently suggest using that Netflix free hour to answer obscure trivia about 19th-century Milligan history—just for the fun of it.
And for those worried about budgets, the Student Activities Office frequently picks up the tab. It’s an invitation—maybe even a polite challenge—to explore a new hobby, social circle or personal threshold for catapulting yourself down a river in a rubber tube.
Long term, though, Villalba cares most about the connections students form.
“You might forget the specific theme of that one Hall Olympics,” Villalba said, “but you’ll remember your borderline-hysterical friend who tried to carry a cup of water on a spoon at full sprint. I may not remember all the themes, but I remember the community—and that’s what we want to promote.” His grin suggests he has some long-ago personal humiliations of his own.
His office is an open door—if you wander in, you’ll likely find him ready with coffee or tea. Maybe you have a half-formed idea for an off-campus retreat. Perhaps you want to start an esoteric club that meets monthly to watch vintage kung fu movies. He’s listening. And as the new activities director, he’s more than ready to help make it happen—or at least to cheerlead your attempts to do something weird and wonderful.
So, the next time you see him in the corridor, feel free to engage in actual conversation. Before you know it, your daily routine might expand beyond the usual cycle of dorm, cafeteria, library.
That’s precisely the outcome Villalba is rooting for.
picture provided by Juan Villalba
by Chris Cox