A Leadership-Level Assist: Whitney A. White ’08 Drives the Future of Women’s Athletics with New Scholarship
October 6, 2026
- Author
- Caroline Roy
Whitney A. White ’08 and Ariyana Johnson ’29
When she came to Davidson College for the 50+ Years of Coeducation Celebration in 2023, Whitney A. White ’08 attended a panel on women’s athletics that sparked her imagination. One of the panelists, volleyball player Sola Omonije ’23, invited her to a game that weekend.
It was White’s first time at a volleyball game. John M. Belk Arena was packed with coeducation guests and full of energy.
“I started having conversations with [VP and Director of Athletics] Chris Clunie ’06 and [Head Volleyball Coach] Chris Willis about the rising need for leadership-level gifts for women’s sports like volleyball,” said White. “The team is already really strong, and even one additional scholarship has such a big impact on where they can go next.”
When she isn’t at work leading multiple companies as a tech founder, CEO and executive coach, White continues to actively shape the lives of Davidson students and the future of the college. Serving as past chair of the Board of Visitors and as a member of the Board of Trustees puts her on the inside of institutional decision making, and her leadership with Davidson’s Black Alumni Network (DBAN) and the Women ACT initiative keeps her in a position to support new generations of students.
In 2015, she created the Davidson Tech Impact Fund at the Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which pairs students looking for experience with local businesses. Passionate about helping students break into entrepreneurship, she has returned to campus to judge the Nisbet Venture Fund Competition and offer mentorship to those who need a place to start.
White, who as a student benefited from the John Montgomery Belk Scholarship, Davidson’s flagship scholarship awarded for leadership, academic merit and community service, saw an opportunity to create her own scholarship and took the next step.
My time on the Women’s Philanthropy Advisory Committee showed me that women are very impact-driven. I value equity and providing opportunities for women to succeed, and I want my philanthropy to reflect those values. Scholarships are especially important to me — receiving the Belk wasn’t just about the money; it told me that Davidson really wanted me there.
White chose to attend Davidson after learning about the tight-knit alumni network she’d be joining. Coming from a small town in South Carolina, she loved the idea of a community that would invest in her and become a life-long resource.
Today, she exemplifies the strength of that network. One of her earliest Davidson mentors, fellow Trustee Tiara Henderson ’97, took her to Southpark Mall in Charlotte to buy her first suit before an interview. When White was a young professional, Vincent Benjamin ’04 and Donnie Johnson ’00 served as critical sounding boards and offered candid business advice.
In 2011, White launched Afara Global, a firm that partners with startups and larger businesses to enable growth, and in 2018, she launched Equity Commons, which uses virtual reality tech to train healthcare employees. Both companies have employed Davidson students and alums.
“My mom raised us to be big on education — not just for ourselves, but for everyone,” White said. “She wanted every kid to have opportunities, not just her own. Once I became aware of the gaps in women’s philanthropy at the leadership level, it was an exciting push for me. I believe women can step up in our philanthropy, do more as leaders and shape more of the future.”
Meet the Scholar: Ariyana Johnson ’29
Ariyana Johnson ’29, the inaugural recipient of the Whitney A. White ’08 Volleyball Scholarship, warms up before a game by putting on a playlist to get herself in the right headspace. On the court, she becomes the team’s hype woman, scoring points from the front-right side of the net. Her energy and enthusiasm is contagious.
Johnson took eight years of ballet before joining her middle school volleyball team. It was a big change, but she fell in love with the sport’s focus on teamwork and personal growth.
“I learned early on that volleyball is a game of mistakes and how you deal with them,” she said. “Even playing at Davidson, I don’t feel pressure to play perfectly. Everyone has their own role, and if something goes wrong, you just keep moving as a team. The game goes on.”
When she steps onto the court, Johnson becomes the most confident version of herself. Volleyball has given her life-long friendships defined by support and camaraderie, and the more comfortable the team gets with each other, the better they play.
“The 2026 team is hungry to compete every day,” Head Volleyball Coach Chris Willis said. “They push each other in practice and strive to be the best versions of themselves. I can’t wait for our fans to see them perform.”
When Johnson chose Davidson, she knew that being a scholar-athlete would enrich her academic experience, too. Her mother is an immunologist who studies the transmission of diseases like HIV, and her father is a middle school principal who studied mathematics. From her first campus visit, and inspired by her parents’ interests in STEM fields, she planned to study biology.
After taking a biostatistics course and spending part of the past summer conducting research with Assistant Professor of Biology Ariana Smith through the Research in Science Experience (RISE) Program, Johnson is excited to find new research opportunities as a sophomore and beyond. In the brief time she spent at home this summer, she was even able to take on some research projects to help her mom in the lab.
Johnson and White met for the first time at the start of the semester, when White came to talk with the volleyball team about career paths and networking.
It’s really cool to see that kind of support from someone outside of the sport. I love seeing her appreciation for volleyball. This scholarship makes me feel safe and secure in my place at Davidson and allows me to focus on developing my role on the team.
Willis hopes that like his team’s infectious energy, White’s support for volleyball will encourage others to invest in the program.
“Recruiting is the lifeblood of any successful program,” he said. “Scholarships, like the generous fund Whitney established, are most often the deciding factor for prospective scholar-athletes who would thrive at Davidson. Every gift to Davidson Volleyball can make a huge difference for the team and our future success.”
