1.) Do you feel like being Miss Pre-alumni Council has helped you transition into being Miss JSU?
Absolutely! The connections and networking that I have been able to do as Miss Pre-Alumni have been invaluable. Being Miss Pre-Alumni Council has not only brought me closer to my peers within the organization, it has also taught me how to effectively communicate with alumni to work together for the common goal of helping students thrive at Jackson State University. I now have the tools to serve as Miss Jackson State University and an unbridled desire to be a productive alumna once my reign as Miss Jackson State University is complete.
2. What inspired you to run for Miss JSU?
There were several factors that played into the momentous decision to run for Miss Jackson State University. Growing up around the type of love for JSU that electrified my household made me feel entitled to an education at Jackson State University. Once I decided to accept the offer to attend Jackson State University and moved in on campus, I came in contact with students from every part of the country who were diverse, innovative, and genuinely concerned about their education and their future. After interacting with my peers, I knew I wanted to do everything I possibly could to help them get closer to their ideal college experience and ease their concern for the future by placing myself in leadership positions where I could serve as their voice and make the changes that they wanted to see so that they too could see JSU in the same light that I saw it in when I was growing up. I pursued positions in my respective organizations and sought to serve my campus in any way possible, but I knew that the ultimate form of service would be to represent them as Miss Jackson State University. I doubted myself initially but through outrageous support from my friends and family, I gathered the courage and ran the race that was before me seeking to continue the legacy of the three generations of Jacksonians in my family that came before me.
3. Who inspired you to go for the title?
My parents, both graduates of the class of 1983, have always been extremely active with the university for as long as I can remember and were very influential in my decision to chase the title. As a child, my family was present at every basketball game, football game, gala, picnic, and fundraising event associated with JSU. You name it, we were there! Witnessing my parent's involvement as members of JSUNAA when I was growing up, gave me an inside view of exactly what it meant to be a JSU Tiger. What I saw was beautiful! Isaw the alumni raising exorbitant amounts of money to help students, I saw my parents connect with their class mates whom they considered family, and at every JSU football game, I would watch in awe as the Queen and her court circled the field and waved to the fans. My dad would laugh at me because I always paid more attention to the Queen than the game itself. Watching each Queen's reign as the years progressed made me feel that even as a little black girl from Mississippi, I too could be beautiful and influence thousands of people and cheer on JSU while I'm at it! After being admitted to the University on a Presidential Scholarship, I expressed interest in becoming Miss JSU and my parents became my biggest supporters. I would be remiss if I did not also mention that my second mother, Mrs. Linda Rush, a long time family friend, trained me for the title of Miss JSU since I could even formulate the idea. She saw something in me, before I could even see it in myself, and for that I am forever grateful.
4. What is your platform?
My platform is No L.I.M.I.T.S., an acronym for No Losing Insight on My Intelligence, Talent, and Service. Its key objectives are encouraging an increase in acdemic achievement through alumni mentorship and utilizing resources within the community to improve our educational experience; ensuring that every student has an outlet to display their unique talents through support, utilization, and resurgence of campus organizations; and finally service to our university, each other and the Jackson community by engagement in more community service opportunities and through a rejuvenated commitment to raising funds for the Queen's Campaign which will provide scholarships to students in need.
5. What are some of your goals that you hope to get started based on your platform during your tenure as queen?
Under the intelligence branch of my platform, I want to start a mentoring program between Students and Alumni who graduated from their corresponding departments at JSU so that students can seek professional advice and know what to expect upon graduation from JSU. I will also be holding book drives throughout the year that will be geared towards acquiring preparatory materials for students to prepare for graduate school and professional exams. Through the talent component of my platform, I will hold a collaborative event in conjunction with as many of the organizations on campus as possible that will spotlight the talents of each organization and their common goal for One JSU. I also plan on holding a large campus wide talent show to showcase the incredible talents of the students at JSU and provide them with information on how to use their talents for the greater good of the community. As a service oriented Queen, I plan on partnering with an organization called No Limits for Deaf Children that helps deaf children learn how to communicate and acclimate to the hearing world around them through mentorship and theatre to engage the students at the Mississippi School for Deaf and Blind.
6. What experiences are you looking forward to as Miss JSU 2015-16?
I am looking forward to every opportunity that comes my way; however a few in particular are Coronation, Football Games, No Limits for Deaf Children initiative, exercising my position on the Executive board to patch issues with the current constitution, and ending my reign by being featured in Ebony Magazine!
7. How do you think being Miss JSU will help with your professional and personal development?
In taking on this position, I never thought about how the title of Miss JSU could help with my professional and personal development. Simply being a student at this illustrious university alone has already boosted my professional and personal developement immensely. I've learned life lessons and grown into a highly functioning, mature version of myself.. Entering this position, I most commonly think not of how it can help me but how I, through my leadership and service, can help the university and students of this university gain even better and more positive experiences than the ones I've had.
8. How do you want to be remembered by JSU students, faculty, staff and alumni?
Electric! I ran my campaign as "The Electric Lady" and that is exactly how I want to be remembered. When you research the term electric, the definition states "having or producing a sudden sense of thrilling excitement; electrifying, exciting, stirring”. I yearn to be the Queen who meets these qualities and ultimately exceeds them in my work ethic, my effectiveness as a leader, and my overall energy as Queen.
9.) What motto do you live by and why?
I constantly tell myself that great things never come from personal comfort zones. Be proactive about your dreams and passionate about something bigger than yourself. Stop waiting for greatness! Go be great!