VALDOSTA – Valdosta State University announces the winner of VSU’s 2025 Presidential Excellence Award for Classified Staff.

Release:

Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, president of Valdosta State University, has honored Darius Anthony with the 2025 Presidential Excellence Award for Classified Staff.

This distinguished recognition is an annual tradition at VSU, one that recognizes the high standards of service, initiative, reliability, professional attitude, exemplary job performance, and leadership of the university’s dedicated staff.

Anthony joined the VSU staff in 2017 and currently serves as assistant director of the Office of Career Opportunities.

“My responsibilities are to recruit employers that will network with our students and offer them career options such as internships and jobs,” he said. “I do that by hosting employer-led workshops and coordinating all career fairs on campus. I am also the student career counselor for students in the College of the Arts. My job is to ensure that they are prepared to interact with employers. I conduct mock interviews with them, critique their resumes, and teach them how to network and interact with employers.”

Beyond his professional duties as a career counselor and student advocate, Anthony serves VSU as public relations chair for the Council on Staff Affairs and as a member of the SPARK Committee, which helps new students kickstart their college journey. He is also active in the local community, where he serves as a member of the Lowndes Associated Ministries to People Inc. Board of Directors.

VSU: What advice do you have for VSU’s fall graduates and young alumni who wish to demonstrate excellence in their current / future professional roles?

Darius Anthony: Excellence starts with consistency. Be reliable, take pride in your work, and lead by example. Show initiative by looking for ways to add value and solve problems, not just waiting for direction. Stay professional, stay teachable, and keep growing.

Also, do not be afraid to speak up when you notice something that is not right, but be just as ready to congratulate and encourage when you see something done well. True leadership balances accountability with appreciation, and that balance will set you apart in every professional space you enter.     

On the Web:
https://www.valdosta.edu/student/student-services/career-services/
https://www.valdosta.edu/administration/council-on-staff-affairs/staff-excellence-awards.php