Tag: student ambassadors

the first class of student ambassadors at Langston University in 2006

Tradition, Pride and Service: Student Ambassadors program shapes student experience at Langston University for 20 years

Release Provided By Ellie Melero

(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar Digital Magazine | Vol. 3 Issue 2 on March 6, 2026)

by Ellie Melero

When Maya Offord arrived at Langston University as a freshman in Fall 2022, she was immediately greeted by a Student Ambassador.

The Ambassador welcomed her to Dear Langston and helped her find her way to student check-in. There, she met other Ambassadors who would continue to help her navigate the campus that was about to become her home for the next four years.

Throughout that first day, and her entire first week, Offord continued to have overwhelmingly positive interactions with Student Ambassadors. From putting on fun events in the evenings to doing “dorm storms” to check on her and her fellow freshmen, the Ambassadors made sure Offord truly felt like she was a member of the Lion Pride.

“As soon as I got on campus that first day, my first people that I had were Ambassadors,” Offord said. “It really inspired me to go be an Ambassador because they were good mentors, and I was like, ‘I really, really want to be a part of that.’”

Offord is now a senior quad major––psychology, corrections, general studies and criminal justice––and she is the Student Ambassadors’ membership and training chair. She is one of the thousands of students and alumni whose time at school has been made all the better thanks to LU Student Ambassadors.

Student Ambassadors show L's Up during Lion Camp — Student Ambassadors are model LU students who serve as freshman orientation leaders, assist with campus tours, help with ceremonial events, and volunteer around campus and in the Town of Langston community.

The Langston University Student Ambassadors is an organization made up of model students who want to elevate their HBCU through community service and peer mentorship. They serve as freshman orientation leaders, assist with campus tours, help with ceremonial events, and volunteer around campus and in the Town of Langston community. They are heavily involved with student activities across organizations, and they are experts in LU history.

Student Ambassadors are an integral part of LU, but for most of the university’s proud history, the organization did not exist.

A Directive from the President

When Dr. JoAnn Haysbert became the President of Langston University in Fall 2005, she gave Dezz Lewis a mission: create a student ambassador program.

“Then, all we had, really, was the McCabes, Mister and Miss Langston, Miss Black Langston and the three SGA elected officials,” Lewis said. “Those were your student leaders. And (Dr. Haysbert) said, ‘Man, we need more when people come to campus.’”

Timeless Human Values of Leadership 1. Leadership 2. Exemplary Character 3. Respect for Oneself 4. Respect for Others 5. Respect for School Property 6. Service to Others 7. Scholarly Achievement — Student Ambassadors are taught the Timeless Human Values of Leadership

She tasked Lewis, who was the Director of Student Life at the time, with creating a new group of students who could serve as “ambassadors” to help represent Langston University during campus visits and other important events. She left it up to him to decide how the club would be organized and run, and he embraced the challenge.

Lewis knew he wanted the organization to be different from any other student organization. As a proud alumnus himself, he wanted it to be a way to instill school spirit and pride in students while shaping them into young leaders. He wanted it to create a sense of belonging on campus because he knew students who felt they belonged were more likely to finish college. Most of all, he wanted it to be impactful not just for its members, but for Dear Langston as a whole.

After brainstorming for a while, Lewis created a set of goals and measurable outcomes for the program. Then, he went to work.

He decided rather than follow the standard student organization model of the time, where clubs were run by presidents and a few other executive positions who made all the decisions, the Student Ambassadors would be run by the Ambassadors’ Council. They would create committees for the various aspects and functions of the organization, and each committee would have a chair. Each chair would have a seat at the Ambassadors’ Council. The Ambassadors’ Council Chairman would be the spokesperson for the organization.

collage of first class of student ambassadors — Lewis began recruiting the first class of Student Ambassadors in Spring 2006.

With the framework established, Lewis began working out how he would train the Student Ambassadors. In addition to their role as student representatives during campus visits, the administration had decided the Ambassadors should also serve as orientation leaders during Lion Camp, Langston University’s week-long freshman orientation program that takes place the week before classes begin in the fall semester.

“We needed orientation leaders for the freshman orientation,” Lewis said. “So when you drop your kids off, the first people you see are the Ambassadors. They’re your model Langston students, and they embody the Timeless Human Values.”

Once he had a plan ready, he set to work recruiting students. In Spring 2006, the Student Ambassadors had their first official meeting with a class of 36 students. At the end of the summer, they attended the Student Leadership Institute and held a retreat to prepare for Lion Camp. In Fall 2006, new students were greeted for the first time by Student Ambassadors.

A Staple of Student Life

When Lion Camp ended, the Student Ambassadors remained. They were meant to be student leaders year-round, and they were meant to serve the entire campus community.

The Student Ambassadors would reach out to other student organizations and ask what support was needed. They would help recruit students to attend various club events as well as official university programs and sporting events. They cultivated a shared sense of school pride with their peers, and they worked to better the student experience for everyone.

Student Ambassadors are taught to embody the Profile of a Langston University Student.

They also continued to receive training. On Wednesday evenings in the fall, Student Ambassadors attended a leadership class with Dr. Haysbert, giving them direct interaction with their president and an opportunity to influence their campus.

Lewis also continued to train them himself, teaching them to recite the Timeless Human Values and the Profile of a Langston Student so that they might take them to heart and learn to embody those qualities. He taught them about the history of the university, and he taught them poems he hoped would inspire the students to continue to strive for success.

“They learned everything that was poured into me as a young adult,” Lewis said. “A lot of affirmations and poems. They had a curriculum. It spawned out of conversations I had with my mentors in college, but most of all, my grandmother made me memorize every poem, affirmation you could think of. So, a lot of what they were doing was stuff that I learned as a kid and stuff I learned at Langston (University).”

student ambassadors line dance during Lion Camp — The Student Ambassadors have become prevalent throughout Student Life.

As the Ambassadors established their role in campus life over the next few years, Lewis continued to refine what he called “the core” of the program. He would add to the curriculum as he saw needs arise. He changed the membership process so that instead of recruiting specific students who had shown leadership potential, any student with a 2.0 GPA could apply to join.

Eventually, Lewis relinquished his role as advisor to the Student Ambassadors. Now, Dr. A. Dominique Williams, the Assistant Dean of Students in the Office of Student Life, serves in that capacity. Since taking over the role, Dr. Williams has continued to improve the organization.

She believes that as student leaders and representatives for the institution, the Student Ambassadors should be held to a high standard. Members must now maintain a 2.5 GPA minimum in addition to the thorough application and training process. Their role in the community has also been expanded.

After Lion Camp, the Ambassadors continue to mentor freshmen throughout their first year of school. They assist with campus tours and recruitment events like High School Day. They participate in service projects like serving meals in the cafeteria. A new service project they recently added was attending HBCU days at high schools and middle schools in Oklahoma.

“There’s still room for growth,” Dr. Williams said. “There’s still room for this organization to be bigger and better than it currently is. This is an awesome opportunity for students to be engaged and just spread the good word of Langston (University).”

The Student Ambassadors have become a staple of student life at Dear Langston, and dozens of students apply each spring to be inducted into the program in the fall. With each new Ambassador Class inducted and freshman class welcomed, their impact continues to grow.

20 Years of Impact

a student ambassador wearing an "Ask Me" shirt gives a family directions during Lion Camp — The Lion Camp “Ask Me” t-shirts are iconic symbols of the Student Ambassadors program.

After 20 years, there are many aspects of the Student Ambassadors program that have become tradition. Customs like “L’s Up” and many spirit chants originated from the organizations’ early years. Saying “I am a Langston Man” or “I am a Langston Woman” when introducing oneself is now common. The “Ask Me” t-shirts from Lion Camp are easily recognizable symbols of the club.

Now, students like Trinity King cannot imagine Langston University without the Student Ambassadors.

When King first came to Langston, the Student Ambassadors helped her feel at home. Her Ambassador mentor, Kayla, helped make her transition into college easier. She wanted to pass on that same support and encouragement she received, so King applied to become an Ambassador during the spring of her freshman year. Kayla even wrote her a letter of recommendation.

King was inducted into the Ambassador Class of 2023, and she has loved it ever since. She now serves as the Chair of the Student Ambassadors. As she prepares to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in animal science in May, King knows her time at LU wouldn’t have been the same without the program.

“That first interaction I had my freshman year (with Ambassadors), it really changed my trajectory,” King said. “Learning about the history of Langston, I take that to heart with me. I’m Langston ride or die.”

King and Offord were both inspired to join the Student Ambassadors because they had felt its positive impact early on in their time at LU, and they continue to see how its influence impacts the campus community beyond people’s first years.

group of student ambassadors pose for a silly photo — Many students enjoy their time as Student Ambassadors, and they take the lessons the program teaches with them to leadership positions in different clubs and jobs.

Many students join Student Ambassadors at the end of their freshman or sophomore years, and they often go on to become leaders in other student organizations afterward. King tells new students that Ambassadors is a great “starter organization” because it helps you get involved on campus and teaches you to be an active member of the community. The program’s lessons on leadership, personal responsibility and school pride stay with you as you move on to your next club or internship or job.

“I believe Ambassadors shaped me into being a leader,” Offord said. “Although I’d been in leadership roles in high school, I didn’t really get that experience until I got here. Being an Ambassador, it encouraged me to be a really good leader and also to take accountability. It also taught me it’s OK to go other ways and work with other people because when you’re a leader, you have to be able to be flexible.

“And then it also helped me to love Langston (University).”

Photos of Elise Thompson, Nadia Mooreland and Cambrie Cannon

Taking the Lead: Women leaders find their stride at Langston University

Release Provided By Ellie Melero

by Ellie Melero, Media Relations Specialist

There are over 70 registered student organizations at Langston University offering students chances to find communities with like-minded interests and, for those willing to seek them, opportunities for leadership. From Greek Life to the English Club, there is always a need for campus leaders, and the Office of Student Life works hard to provide mentorship and learning opportunities to develop these students’ leadership skills.

Dr. A. Dominique Williams, the assistant dean for the Office of Student Life, tries to connect students not only with each other but also with resources that can help them be successful. For her, honing students’ leadership abilities is an important part of preparing them for their future careers, and she emphasizes that anyone willing to put in the work can become a leader, regardless of race or gender.

“Even though it’s 2025, there are still a lot of places in corporate America, non-profits, multiple different industries where Black women and women of color are not given leadership roles,” Dr. Williams said. “So, it’s really important to show our students, ‘You can be a leader. You absolutely can be in these rooms and be at these tables, and this is how you can lead in these spaces.’”

Lady Lions all over campus prove every day that women can be leaders. Let’s meet a few of the young women leading at Dear Langston.

Elise Thompson – SGA Vice President

Elise Thompson has always been civically engaged.

An Oklahoma City native, Thompson didn’t always feel like she fit in at the Dove Science Academy where she went to school, so from a young age, she sought out different avenues to try to find her place. She ended up joining youth leadership programs, which is how she first met Anastasia Pittman, a former state senator and state representative and a Langston University alumna.

Pittman’s work for Oklahoma’s 99th District inspired Thompson, and Pittman became her mentor. Working with Pittman and learning about government helped Thompson realize that was what she wanted to do when she grew up: serve her community as the State Representative for the 99th District. That’s the goal she’s still working toward.

Elise Thompson speaks to the student body during opening convocation — Elise Thompson addresses the student body during the Opening Convocation Ceremony in August.

After high school, Thompson came to Langston University as a McCabe Scholar studying accounting and immediately joined the LU Student Government Association (SGA). She ran for freshman class president and tied the race before losing by three votes in the runoff election. Instead of discouraging her from pursuing future leadership positions, the loss motivated her to work on herself and develop her skills for next time.

“That was a turning point for me,” Thompson said. “That just made me want to work harder. I saw the people who did have those positions and used them as inspiration. Even though I didn’t win, I made sure that I stayed around so I could learn.”

Thompson continued to join student organizations on and off campus, and she took advantage of leadership and development opportunities whenever they presented themselves.

She joined the Oklahoma Student Government Association (OSGA), and in Fall 2024, OSGA passed three bills she proposed, which have now been passed on to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE). She joined the NAACP and attended their national convention in New Jersey her sophomore year. As an LU Student Ambassador, she helped plan and put on Lion Camp, and she has served as the Civic Engagement Chair for Women of Purpose for three years.

As an SGA senator, Thompson helped lobby Langston University administration to raise the fall bursar balance cap for spring enrollment from $200 to $1,000, allowing many students to continue their studies without having to take a semester off. As the SGA Vice President, Thompson helped register over 200 LU students to vote in the 2024 presidential election, and she attended OSRHE’s Student Advisory Council. She is currently helping plan Alternative Spring Break, which is a student community service trip to Washington D.C.

“I can see that my work is not done in vain,” Thompson said. “I actually do have an impact on people, on my community.”

Her hard work has earned her opportunities outside of LU, too. She was invited to attend the Oklahoma City Police Department Youth Leadership Academy where she was able to build a working relationship with Police Chief Ron Bacy, and she received a George and Donna Nigh Public Service Scholarship to represent Langston University at the Nigh Institute. Additionally, she has been an intern for Rep. Ajay Pittman for the past 6 years.

Thompson is aware she still has a lot of room to grow as a leader, but she’s proud of how far she’s come and how much she’s been able to accomplish during her time at Dear Langston. She is constantly learning from those around her, and she’s doing it all so she can one day use all she’s learned to help improve her community in east Oklahoma City.

“I want to help my community be able to thrive,” Thompson said. “Even if it’s something small, knowing that I’m able to help someone really just fills my heart, and that’s what keeps me going.”

Nadia Mooreland – Co-Founder of LU Athletics Social Media Team

Nadia Mooreland lives her life by Habakkuk 2:2: “Write it down, make it plain.”

Nadia Mooreland talks into a microphone during a football game — Nadia Mooreland helped found the Langston University Athletics Social Media Team in 2023.

For Mooreland, the first step to achieving a goal is to write it down. The second step is to put in the work. Her hard work and dedication have transformed the Langston University Department of Athletics’ approach to social media.

Mooreland transferred to Langston University as a broadcast journalism major in Fall 2022 after running track at Oklahoma Baptist University for three years and taking a gap year to focus on her mental health. Growing up in Cushing, Oklahoma, without many Black peers or role models, Mooreland felt an immediate sense of belonging when she arrived on the Langston University campus, and that motivated her to seek out ways to get involved.

She pondered how she could combine her interests in sports and social media with her desire to find a way to give back to the university, and then she came across the LUBoys TikTok account. The page, run by her fellow broadcast journalism students as part of a class project, was filled with interviews and highlight reels of the LU football team.

“I was thinking to myself, ‘Man, it would be cool if we could do this but for all the sports programs,’” Mooreland said.

The idea stayed in the back of her mind until one Fried Chicken Wednesday that spring when her sister introduced her to Quinzaria Tatum. Tatum had a similar interest in revamping Athletics’ social media, and Mooreland knew she had found someone to help bring her idea to life. They met up again a few weeks later, and Mooreland brought a notebook filled with ideas to use social media to bring attention to LU athletes. To her delight, Tatum had done the same.

The two worked together to conduct a SWOT analysis of LU Athletics’ social media presence and then create a strategic plan and campaign proposal. They set up a meeting with Athletic Director Donnita Rogers and Assistant Athletic Director Fachaitte Kinslow where they pitched their plan for a social media team. They then gave their presentation to Sports Information Director Kyle Taylor, then again to the coaches of all Langston sports, and finally to the Office of Public Relations. In Fall 2023, Mooreland and Tatum officially founded the LU Athletics Social Media Team.

For the past two years they have co-led the 15-person social media team, creating content and managing the Instagram and Facebook accounts for all eight sports teams. The team has received lots of positive feedback from LU students and alumni, and coaches now use the content they create for recruitment. LU Athletics’ online exposure and engagement has increased exponentially; one of their football videos has over 600,000 views and earned dozens of ‘follows’ from high school football players.

“Langston University doesn’t get a lot of good press, but I like to call it the Hidden Gem of Oklahoma,” Mooreland said. “If you look inside that Hidden Gem, you see the talented, motivated, hardworking and passionate future leaders of America just killing the game at Langston University. And we just wanted to show exposure to our HBCU, one post at a time.”

Part of Mooreland’s original vision included increasing Athletics’ media and community engagement, and she has been spearheading the team’s media relations and brand storytelling. She organizes media days for every sport and team promotes theme nights for home games, and this year she started conducting post-game press conferences and half-time reports for men’s and women’s basketball.

Mooreland has learned and grown a lot from leading the social media team, but she is now facing her biggest challenge yet: letting go. As she prepares to graduate this July, she is mentoring and training the underclassmen on the social media team to take over for next year.

“It’s kind of hard starting a legacy but then coming to the realization, ‘Dang, I have to leave it,’” Mooreland said. “We have to give it to the younger people so they can put their own twist on it, and they can continue the legacy.”

Cambrie Cannon takes a photograph — Cambrie Cannon is the Constitution Revision Chair for the LU Student Ambassadors, the Civic Voice Chair in the SGA Senate and the Public Relations Chair for the Legal Lions.

Cambrie Cannon – LU Student Ambassadors

For Cambrie Cannon, confidence is key in leadership.

A junior double majoring in corrections and broadcast journalism, Cannon has learned a lot about leadership since high school. Growing up in Oklahoma City, she always had examples of strong leaders thanks to the many military service members in her family, including her father who served in the Army National Guard, Army and Army Reserves. As she neared her high school graduation, she knew she wanted to serve her country, but she also knew she wanted to pursue a higher education.

Luckily for her, it didn’t have to be one or the other.

Cannon enlisted in the Oklahoma National Guard after graduation and attended basic training that summer. In the fall, she accepted a Regent Scholarship to attend Langston University.

“I find myself following in my dad’s footsteps,” Cannon said. “He also served and he also attended Langston.”

At first, Cannon felt odd being an active-duty service member in school, but she was quickly able to find community among her fellow Lions. As she became more comfortable, she started getting more involved on campus. She became an LU Student Ambassador, joined the Student Government Association and became an active member of the Legal Lions, a club for pre-law students. As she got more involved, she began to take on leadership roles within these student organizations.

Cannon is the Constitution Revision Chair for the LU Student Ambassadors, the Civic Voice Chair in the SGA Senate and the Public Relations Chair for the Legal Lions. In the National Guard, she has earned the rank of Specialist and works in Public Affairs.

“These positions are really shaping me as a leader, and I’m definitely going to carry these skills and traits on when I go to law school,” Cannon said. “The skills that Langston is teaching me now are going to make me a better leader. I feel like the skills that you develop here, they’re skills that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Cannon knows the lessons she has learned in both the military and as a student have been building off each other, enabling her to better serve in each of her respective positions. Her experience in the military has given her the confidence to trust herself and her abilities, while her experiences at Dear Langston have given her the confidence to be creative in her problem solving, use her resources and interact with authority figures.

When Cannon finishes her degree, she plans to go to law school, though she is unsure whether she would like to go into criminal or family law or pursue a career as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) officer. Whichever path she chooses, she knows she’s prepared.

“Langston is giving me that confidence as a woman and as a minority to go after these positions,” Cannon said. “I’m not scared to apply for promotion boards, I’m not scared to communicate with my higher ups. I’m used to Langston pushing me to take on these positions. So when it comes having the confidence to go after something that I want, Langston has given me the confidence to do that.”