Universal Visions

Since his days as an adolescent, Keith Willis has always been one to invest in people, chiefly in the community that had the most influence in his life; his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia. “I’ve been giving back to my community from the moment I was in a position to give back.”

As a local phenom athlete in the “7 Cities” area, Keith quickly realized that some of the resources that were afforded to others were not made available to him or any of his fellow residents in his community. Through his experiences as an adolescent, he drew inspiration as not just a doer of good deeds, but a leader among men. “While growing up in my neighborhood, I recognized that there were very few opportunities for me to better myself as a man outside of what my family could offer me.  Because of that, I wanted to establish an organization that would progress young adults into becoming outstanding members of society”, says Willis.
 
In his progression as a young man, a student athlete at Virginia Tech, and eventually the professional ranks of the National Football League, Keith began to notice and identify a child’s attraction to sports, as he too fell in love with the game of basketball and football at an early age. It was this realization that would motivate Keith to use sports as a mechanism to impact the lives of youngsters. “As with myself as a child, I know how kids can be attracted to sports. Once I began to progress as an athlete, I utilized football as a platform to positively affect the people that I felt the most compassion for which was the youth.” Willis took on several personal initiatives including “Back to School” shopping, annual football camps, and participating in fund-raisers for different organizations.
 
Now in the nation’s capital, Keith recognizes his calling to make a difference in the lives of young people locally and abroad. “Upon moving to Washington, I found that the children here were seeking and yearning for strong positive guidance from adults in the community. In possessing a strong passion for helping children and permanently changing lives, I thought about what helped shape me into the man I’ve become and desired to offer those same opportunities. I believe that my character was formed through my faith and education, as well as athletics. It is those foundational elements which I intend to employ as a means to impress upon young people, thus the creation of Universal Visions”, explains Willis.
 
Keith couldn’t be more excited for what Universal Visions does and the community it serves. “What Universal Visions does more than anything thing is it gives me the opportunity to be an advocate of change, but in a way that I feel is unique and proven. Not everyone is gifted with uncanny athleticism or an innate amount of intelligence, but no one should be exempt from an opportunity to be successful and productive in life. That’s why we’re here, to give that chance”.