Three Jackson State University students will provide leadership for the National Black Graduate Students Association (NBGSA) in the upcoming year. Desiree Conton, Verjuan Gordon and Willis Lyons will join the 2016-17 Leadership Team of the NBGSA as a result of their elections at the organization’s 28th National Conference in Houston earlier this year. Their installations will take place in Washington, C.C., June 23-26.
Conton, a master’s student in biology will serve as national parliamentarian; Gordon, a doctoral candidate in educational leadership; and Lyons, a master’s student in environmental health, will both serve as South Central regional representatives for the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Each gives credit to the staff and faculty of the Jackson State University Graduate School, headed by the dean, Dr. Dorris Robinson-Gardner, for encouraging their involvement and fostering their success with NBGSA. Sarah Foote, coordinator of student services in the graduates school, was especially noted for the support she provides through the campus chapter of NBGSA.
“My mentor, Dr. Thomas Calhoun (sociology professor and associate vice president for Academic Affairs), encouraged me to get the HBCU experience after I completed my undergraduate degree in speech communications at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. He said I would be limited without that perspective,” Gordon said. “I simply fell in love with Jackson State and with Jackson, Mississippi. I just couldn’t get enough,” he added.
[dropcap]G[/dropcap]ordon’s words prove true as he has earned a master of arts in sociology from JSU and is continuing his post-baccalaureate education in the doctoral program. The Chicago native said, “My aspiration, once I receive my Ph.D., is to one day become the president of a university.” Gordon believes the national leadership opportunities provided through NBGSA will further expand his viewpoint and understanding of the issues that impact students engaged in higher education.
Lyons, also originally from Chicago, is the son of a two-parent home of educators who relocated to Philadelphia, Mississippi, and who are still engaged in teaching because they view it as a way to promote community transformation. Following their example, Lyons works with 5- and 6-year-olds teaching and tutoring as he completes his graduate degree. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology/pre-pharmacy with a minor in chemistry from JSU in 2008.
“My journey with the National Black Graduate Student Association (NBGSA) began after I took the position as the JSU-GSA Recruitment Officer. The conference (I attended) allowed me to network with professionals from various disciplines and showcase my research, which has earned awards and received recognition from multiple academic establishments. As the NBGSA South Central regional representative, I intend to promote leadership and scholarship,” Lyons said.
[dropcap]L[/dropcap]yons added, “I want to embody the spirit and values of our great institution and encourage others to fulfill their dreams. I believe everyone can have a positive legacy.”
According to Dr. Paul Tchounwou, associate dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Lyons is one of several students whose studies are being supported through the Environmental Cooperative Science grant.
NBGSA is a student-run and operated, non-profit, interdisciplinary organization that strives to build upon the legacy of its founders who planned and hosted the organizations’ first national conference in 1989 to provide an opportunity for Black graduate students to develop professionally.
Today, NBGSA still aims to provide current and potential graduate students with critical resources that enrich their academic, personal, professional and social experiences. The organization seeks to create spaces where Black students, with shared experiences from different backgrounds, are able to connect, engage, develop and find support in safe, affirming communities.