Track star Rayshon Higgins has made a career out of soaring through the air. That's quite fitting for a man that is willing to go wherever the wind may take him.
You read his name in the Spectrum for his performance in last weekend's track meet. That's Rayshon. You walk through Clement Hall and see him performing his duties as a Resident Advisor. That's Rayshon. It's late at night and you decide to take a ride from the Anti-Rape Task Force. The man behind the wheel, that's Rayshon. You see a skateboarder grinding a rail on South Campus. That's Rayshon.
With interests so diverse he represents an anomaly in the realm of collegiate athletes. He is more than just schoolwork and sport; this comes from one undying passion.
"I love to have fun. I don't care where its at, who is doing it, if its fun, I'm gonna do it." Higgins said.
His track career started in high school where he intended to use it as a way to stay in shape for football. While at Timon-St. Jude he twice grabbed All-State honors on the gridiron. After considering scholarships from big name schools such as Kansas, Higgins decided to stay close to home and chose Buffalo.
"It's Buffalo, I grew up right around the corner," Higgins said. "They offered me a scholarship and they were Division I."
A standout in the triple jump, Higgins came to Buffalo and found that the team was very welcoming.
"It's like a fraternity," Higgins said. "You're with these people all the time. Instead of worrying about having to make friends, you are put in a position where you already have close friends."
Then he began to hop, skip, and jump his way into the record books. He has claimed three Mid-American Conference Championships in the triple jump. Twice garnering the accolade in the indoor event and once outside. The success yet has never altered his outlook on life.
"You win medals and stuff but I just give them away. I gave one to my mom," Higgins said. "It means a lot to those people. I'll always remember what I did. I just try and stay humble."
This season he was just six inches shy of making the NCAA Championship field of 16 competitors. In typical fashion though he didn't let this bother him.
"I've been in that position before," Higgins said. "You just got to deal with it."
When not on the track, Higgins, a member of the English honors program, loves to read and write.
"I really like short stories, my favorite author is Raymond Carver," said the junior English major. "I want to get a masters in creative writing once I graduate. Then maybe I'll write for a living."
But not only is Higgins an athlete and a writer but also he is also an avid skateboarder. Even more interesting than the combination of activities is where he picked up the hobby.
"I started skating when I was like eight. My mom had a board and I found it and just started skating." Higgins said. "Whenever no one knew where I was I was out skating the streets."
Far from a pro, Higgins finds it relaxing, but more importantly fun.
"I've got some tricks. I've got a kick flip, pop-it-shove-it and 180 degree," Higgins said. "I used to skate South Campus a lot but then they put up signs and put boats on the rails to stop you from grinding. It really sucks, but it's still a cool place to be."
Trying to make the most out of his college career, Higgins has also found himself working both as a RA and a volunteer for the ARTF. After commuting his sophomore year, he wanted to become more ingrained with campus life again and found that route through becoming an RA.
"I've met some really cool people," Higgins said. "It's definitely an experience I wouldn't give back."
With so many different things going on in his life, Higgins can appear to be a jack-of-all-trades. When it comes down to it however, at the core he is much more than any one thing. He is someone who is out there to have fun and all the joys in his life are a direct result of that ambition.
