As she stepped into the Pollinator Sanctuary, Andria took a moment to assess her surroundings.
She stood in the middle of a circular path lined with bushes and flowers. Butterflies, bees and other flying insects flitted between the plants, buzzing contentedly and paying her no mind. Her eyes followed the route of a bumblebee as it circled a purple flower to her right and flew over her head, bringing her gaze up to admire the bright blue sky that shone through the crisscrossing wooden beams enclosing her and the insects inside a giant ring.
She returned her eyes to the front and saw six pedestals in front of her. Each held a flower and was labeled with a different pollinator. She stepped forward, reached out, and plucked a bright red and orange marigold from its pedestal. Immediately, a honeybee came and landed on the flower, allowing her to get a good, close look at it. She brought the flower eye-level, and a voice began speaking in her ear, telling her about the daily habits of honeybees.
“Usually, if I saw it in real life, I would get scared,” Andria said. “If I saw a bee, I would run. But since I knew it wasn’t real, I was kind of investigating it, seeing what was on the bug and stuff.”
The VR Pollinator Sanctuary helped students learn about pollination, the insects that pollinate, and how that process plays into everyday life.
Observing different bees, butterflies and moths up close on the flowers was one of several activities Andria did through the Pollinator Sanctuary Virtual Reality Experience at Langston University on Thursday.
A rising junior at Stillwater High School, Andria is a camper at LU’s 2026 Math and Science Academy. The annual summer camp brings students from all over Oklahoma and surrounding states to the Langston Campus for two weeks to learn about STEM careers, life in college and strategies for taking the ACT. Activities like the Pollinator Sanctuary give the students opportunities to learn about STEM and agriculture in new and exciting ways, which is why Shar Carter is trying to make it more accessible.
Carter is an extension educator with LU’s Cooperative Outreach and Extension Programs (CEOP). She worked with Aaru Entertainment, a virtual reality company based in Tulsa, to bring the Pollinator Sanctuary to Langston for the Math and Science Academy. For two years, she has worked with Aaru to put on similar events around Tulsa with some of the other educational labs they offer, such as a virtual reality space simulation. This summer, she wants to do more.
“We can take them to places, whether that’s botanical gardens or museums, that they might never see in their lifetime,” Carter said. “There’s just so many applications that we can do, and what Dr. (Welsey) Whitaker, Dr. (Alonzo) Peterson and President (Ruth Ray) Jackson have allowed me to do is engage with other departments and adapt it to what they want to do.”
For the Math and Science Academy, Carter wanted it to showcase one of the many intersections of STEM and agriculture.
In the VR Pollinator Sanctuary, students could get a close look at insects and flowers and learn about the importance of pollination and pollinator conservation.
By donning the VR headset, students were transported from LU’s Multipurpose Gymnasium into a state-of-the-art insect sanctuary and observatory to learn about pollination, the insects that pollinate, and how that process plays into everyday life. They looked at bugs and flowers up close, walked through a grocery store with empty shelves where all the food requiring pollination should have been, and learned about pollinator conservation.
For many of the students, this was their first experience with virtual reality, and they were impressed.
“I was excited because I always wanted to try VR,” Andria said. “At first, it wasn’t like how I expected it to be, but it was still fun. It was cool looking around and seeing random things flying around. I think it’s a fun way to learn, especially since it’s kind of like a video game, and most people like video games.”
The experience stuck with the students as more than just a fun activity. Many said they learned things about bees they hadn’t known before, and the impact of seeing the empty grocery store shelves is something many said will stay with them.
Aaiyah, a rising junior at Wiley East High School in Dallas, said the experience was eye-opening.
“It’s showing you how all the pollinators are gonna be gone, and how we’re not really gonna have any food,” Aaiyah said. “Like, in year 2080, we’re really only gonna have bread and wine. It was just really sad because we need to work on it.”
Despite the somber feeling she had when she took off the headset, Aaiyah was still impressed by the VR experience.
“You see things, like articles and stuff like that,” Aaiyah said. “But this was like, you actually got to engage with it. To see the future and back and the difference, and to actually take it in.”
Carter and Aaru will host the next virtual reality STEM education lab on the Langston Campus on June 25 as part of the Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences’ HERC Field Day. Carter is working to schedule more around Oklahoma throughout the summer.
On April 1, the world watched excitedly as astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen launched into space as part of the Artemis II Mission–NASA’s first crewed lunar flyby since 1972. For 10 days, people eagerly awaited updates as the Artemis II crew orbited the moon and traveled the greatest distance from Earth humans have ever achieved. On April 10, the crew reentered the Earth’s orbit and splashed down off the coast of San Diego.
The first person to greet them was Langston University alumnus Laddy Aldridge.
Aldridge is a Senior Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, and he serves as the Independent Duty Corpsman for Explosive Ordinance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit 1. He was one of four Navy Sailors selected for the Navy Dive Medical Recovery Team for the Artemis II Mission, serving as a first-contact medical provider inside the Orion capsule. But long before that, he was just a boy from Oklahoma.
“To be a part of this mission is truly an honor,” Aldridge said. “I am humbled to have been just a small part in it.”
LU alumnus Laddy Aldridge (far right) was the first person to make contact with the Artemis II astronauts when they returned from space. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class August Clawson)
Aldridge grew up in Cushing, Oklahoma, and he found his passion for medicine at a young age. His father, a former U.S. Coast Guardsman, had a long medical history and was at the doctor’s often. Sometimes Aldridge accompanied him, and he was inspired to pursue a medical career after seeing the many interactions between his dad and Dr. Ike Hubbard.
After that, he talked to his high school career counselor. She suggested he apply to Langston University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program because the school’s licensure exam pass rate was better than that of the University of Oklahoma. Additionally, LU was more affordable and closer to his family. So, in the fall of 2005, Dear Langston became Aldridge’s new home.
For the next two years, Aldridge worked over 40 hours a week while balancing a full course load each semester and commuting from Cushing. It was hard, but he was determined. His professors were helpful and supportive, and one of his chemistry professors was particularly influential in his decision to enlist in the Navy.
“She never hesitated to ask if I was grasping the concepts in class at the end of every session,” Aldridge said. “Making small talk one day, I mentioned my father’s military background and said something like, ‘I would join if I was not currently enrolled.’ She supported the thought and also immediately offered to help search for more scholarships if I was struggling financially. I will always remember how supportive she was of me no matter what direction I wanted to go in life.”
In 2007, Aldridge decided to pause his studies and join the Navy as an enlisted Hospital Corpsman. His naval career has taken him places he never imagined. Over the past 19 years, he’s had the opportunity to work with wonderful people, learn from next-level leaders, and gain skills and viewpoints that he said will forever shape his life.
Aldridge served as a first-contact medical provider inside the Orion capsule as part of the Artemis II Navy Dive Medical Recovery Team (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class August Clawson)
In 2017, NASA announced the Artemis Program, a moon exploration program made up of several missions of increasing complexity with the end goal of establishing a permanent lunar base on the moon.
When the Artemis II Mission was announced, Aldridge was excited to be named to its Navy Dive Medical Recovery Team. His initial excitement was quickly followed by nervousness and then eagerness to learn more about space medicine and physiology. Then the training began.
“Over the past few years, our team took several trips to NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory located in Houston, Texas,” Aldridge said. “These helped familiarize the team with the procedures and gear utilized in the mission. Along with those trips, we conducted several underway trips on various U.S. Navy ships where we would practice the mission with a training capsule in the open ocean.”
The Team’s years of training paid off. When the Orion capsule landed in the Pacific Ocean, they went straight to work.
Once they opened the capsule, Aldridge was the first person to make contact with the astronauts. He entered the capsule and began conducting initial medical exams for the crew. The Navy Dive Medical Team provided care as needed and then assisted the astronauts out of the capsule and onto a raft set up by Navy divers. They then prepared the astronauts for a helicopter airlift to the USS John P. Murtha for further medical evaluations.
Reflecting on the mission afterward, Aldridge was honored to participate. Growing up in Oklahoma, he never would have imagined he would one day work with NASA to care for astronauts returning from a lunar mission. He knows he wouldn’t have had the opportunity without the support of people throughout his life, from Cushing and Langston to his many naval duty stations.
“LU prepared me not only academically for life after college but also for life in general!” Alrdidge said. “To Langston University, my first home after high school, thank you for helping me build the foundation of who I am as a person and a student. Even though I never completed my initial goal of a degree from LU, I will always be a Lion at heart.”
Aldridge and his teammates prepped the astronauts to be airlifted by helicopter to the USS John P. Murtha. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Rowe)
The kids scream in delight, sweat still dripping off their brows and smiles still on their faces as Danielle Jones unlocks her front door.
Her home’s cool AC hits them in a wave, saving them from the July sun. For Jones, summer break means days in the park and time outside with her children. Being a teacher, answering her emails – all thoughts in the back of her mind.
DING!
Until that email notification went off.
Usually, Jones would’ve ignored that email, especially after an exhausting day at the park. But she knew it was about time to see if she had received the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Award.
She pulled out her phone and clicked on the notification.
Jones is a 2019 graduate of LU’s master’s in urban education program.
Jones always knew she wanted to be a teacher.
“I love ‘Matilda,’ and I always wanted to be like Miss Honey,” Jones said.
She was always around children. Even from a young age, she would volunteer with her church’s nursery or vacation bible school. In middle school, Jones took a career test that suggested she should pursue teaching. That all but confirmed what path she wanted to take.
Jones attended Oklahoma State University after graduating from Guthrie High School, and she earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She spent some time in different career fields before returning to education.
A friend of Jones’ had just finished her master’s degree in urban education at Langston University when Jones began teaching again. Her friend kept telling her how great the urban education program was at LU and encouraged her to apply.
“I had been teaching for a couple of years at that point, and I was like, ‘A master’s wouldn’t hurt,’ you know?” Jones said.
Jones was accepted into the urban education program on the Langston University – Oklahoma City campus and began attending classes during the Fall 2017 semester.
She loved her time in the program, in large part because of the HBCU culture Langston University offers across all its campuses.
“It was really important at that time in life,” Jones said. “I think people think that once you become an adult, you have it all figured out, and you just don’t. I’m still learning. For me, I was still trying to figure out my identity as a Black woman and where I’m supposed to be, and how do I pour into children, Black and brown children, who look like me, and address stereotypes and biases? Just because we’re Black don’t mean we know each other’s story. The program allowed me to lean on people and hear their perspectives.
“If you want that type of culture, you can’t destroy that type of culture. You have to continue to embrace it and pour into it. I tell other students, ‘If you want a family, if you want to be a name and not a number, if you want people who want to see you succeed and will push you and will hold you to a higher standard, Langston (University) is the place for you.’”
Jones graduated with her master’s degree in urban education in 2019, and soon afterward began working at Putnam City North High School. Before then, she had never heard of Fulbright.
Jones was encouraged to apply to the Fulbright program by a fellow teacher.
A fellow teacher had applied to the Fulbright program many times before finally being accepted. They constantly tried to convince Jones to apply for the program, telling her, “When that application comes out, you need to apply.”
“But I’m a mom,” Jones said. “How’s this going to work?”
“You know what? I’m not going to stress about it. What God has for me is for me. I’m just putting myself out there, and I’ll pray that it works out.”
The Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program is a yearlong professional learning opportunity and short-term exchange for elementary, middle and high school educators from the United States to develop skills to prepare students for a competitive global economy. The program equips educators to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad and global collaboration, according to its website.
Participants in the program will travel abroad for two to three weeks to immerse themselves in another country’s culture and education system and create a global education guide that serves as a resource in their local community to share the skills, experiences and resources they have developed throughout the program, among other activities.
Jones applied to the program in February 2025. Then, the long wait began.
“I remember going to church, and our pastor had us do these cards with your prayer list,” Jones said. “I had that on my prayer list. I just wanted to give it to God and not even worry about it because I was starting to get anxious about it, especially because it takes so long to find out.”
Jones was the only Oklahoman chosen to participate in the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program this award cycle.
…the white light of her email app brightened her smile as Jones read the email.
She was accepted into the Fulbright program for the 2025-2026 year.
“They picked me, this little girl from Guthrie, Oklahoma,” Jones said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
It wasn’t until several months later that Jones learned she was the only recipient from Oklahoma selected to participate in the program for this award cycle.
Jones knows she’s not only representing the state of Oklahoma, but representing Black educators, Langston University alumni and so many others who helped her along the way.
“I was raised by a single father, and I’ve reconnected with my mom,” Jones said. “I’ve had a lot of mentors and teachers who always poured into me. Everything I do is to try to honor their legacy and the sacrifices they made for me.
“I feel like I did this for all of us. We’re all in the Fulbright program now.”
LANGSTON, Okla.–President Ruth Ray Jackson announced Wednesday that distinguished alumnus Sherman L. Lewis will serve as the speaker for the 126th Commencement of Langston University on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 10 a.m. in W.E. Anderson Stadium. Lewis will also receive an honorary doctorate degree during the ceremony.
Lewis is a proud alumnus and long-time supporter of LU. He has served the university for more than fifty years in various capacities, including as the current chair of the Langston University Board of Trustees for the Urban Campuses and a member of the LU Foundation Board. He was a trailblazer in the field of conservation, a successful entrepreneur, and he is the most prolific individual donor in the university’s history
“Langston University is proud of the work Mr. Sherman Lewis has done for Oklahoma and the agriculture industry, and we are grateful for all the ways in which he gives back to his alma mater,” Dr. Jackson said. “Over the years, his generous donations have helped countless LU students pursue their degrees while also enhancing the student experience. He is the single largest donor in the university’s history, but he also gives his time through his work on the Board of Trustees for Urban Campuses, the LU Foundation Board and his participation in various events throughout the year.”
President Ruth Ray Jackson awarded Sherman Lewis the first ever Presidential Award of Excellence during the 20th Annual President’s Scholarship Gala in 2025.
Lewis grew up on a farm near Beggs, Oklahoma, and earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics with a minor in mathematics from LU in1964. After graduation, he spent two years in the military before joining the USDA Soil Conservation Service, now the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in 1967.
He was quickly recognized for his outstanding service, and in 1971, Lewis became the first Black District Conservationist in Oklahoma, serving as the District Conservationist for Rogers County. He continued to rise through the ranks, and he eventually became Director of the Conservation Planning Division in Washington, D.C. In 1997, he retired as Deputy Administrator for Management and Strategic Planning for NRCS.
Lewis returned to Langston University as the Director for the Center for Outreach Programs, where he focused on recruiting students, providing technical assistance to producers and minority-owned businesses, and developing partnerships with federal and state agencies to secure scholarships, internships and career opportunities for students.
After eight years at LU, Lewis decided to venture into the private sector. He and his family started several businesses in Houston, Texas, including quick service restaurants, construction project management, real estate, wholesale and retail gas distribution and a Mexican restaurant.
Lewis was awarded the Heart of the Lion Award in 2014 and received the 1890 Career Exemplar Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities in 2015. In 2022, he and his family established the Sherman and Berniece Lewis Endowment, which was the largest single donation in university history. Shortly after, the university renamed the School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences to the Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. In 2025, he received the first ever Langston University Presidential Award of Excellence.
For more information about Langston University’s commencement ceremony, please visit langston.edu/commencement.
The Langston University Rehabilitation Counseling Program has been named one of the Top 10 rehabilitation counseling graduate programs and the Top HBCU program in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.
Langston University rose 8 points in the rankings from 2025 to be named the tenth best program in the United States. Previously tied with Winston-Salem University, LU now sits as the highest ranked Historically Black College or University (HBCU) on the list.
“We are incredibly proud to see our Rehabilitation Counseling program break into the Top 10 nationally,” said Dr. Corey Moore, the founding director of the program. “While the ranking is a high honor, the true reward is watching our graduates enter the workforce fully equipped to lead, and seeing our research translate into better outcomes for the communities we serve.”
Langston University was ranked above programs from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Northern Illinois University, University at Buffalo-SUNY and others.
This accomplishment comes as the program celebrates its 25th anniversary, and LU President Ruth Ray Jackson recently honored Dr. Moore with a Distinguished Service Award for his leadership as the founding chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Services.
Langston University’s rehabilitation counseling master’s program is available in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Students benefit from small class settings that allow for more one-on-one interaction with the program’s distinguished faculty, and they have opportunities to participate in ground-breaking research at the department’s two federally funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers. Many of the students receive scholarships funded by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services/U.S. Department of Education, and all students participate in hands-on internships.
“We will use this momentum to further enhance the academic preparation of the next generation of rehabilitation and mental health professionals and to continue translating our high-impact solutions-oriented research initiatives funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research/Administration for Community Living,” Dr. Moore said.
For more information about the Rehabilitation Counseling Program, please visit langston.edu/rehab.
Langston University Women’s Basketball Head Coach Chris Vincent has accepted a position as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at NCAA Division II Purdue Northwest. A national search will be held to determine the next leader of Lady Lions basketball.
Vincent came to Langston University as the Associate Head Coach of the men’s basketball team under Chris Wright in 2022, helping lead the greatest single season turnaround in college basketball history. Their remarkable success included two Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) regular season and tournament championships, two NAIA national tournament appearances, a runner-up finish in the 2023-2024 season, and an overall record of 66-5.
After two years in the role, Vincent was selected as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach in 2024.
“We recognized Coach Vincent’s leadership potential while serving as the associate head coach on the men’s side of our basketball program for two seasons, and that continued when he began to serve as our women’s head coach,” Langston University Athletic Director Donnita Drain-Rogers said. “Coach Vincent’s passion for the sport of women’s basketball, recruiting expertise and the ability to quickly develop a winning culture are just a few reasons why he stood out when we were looking to fill our head women’s position in Spring 2024.
“His basketball IQ, recruiting expertise and leadership skills have been on full display these past two seasons leading the Lady Lions. He’s left his mark on the Lady Lions program in his short time here. We wish him well in all his future endeavors, and I’m looking forward to seeing him continue to blossom for years to come.”
In his two years leading the Langston University women’s basketball program, Vincent tallied a 55-9 overall record. He led the Lady Lions to back-to-back Sooner Athletic Conference regular season titles, one SAC tournament championship and two berths into the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Tournament.
During the 2024-2025 season, the Lady Lions advanced to the NAIA National Tournament Round of 16 and tied the program record for most wins in a season with 31. The Lady Lions finished with the No. 1 defense in the country and No. 2 in overall efficiency.
“Words cannot fully express the love and passion I have for Langston University,” Vincent said. “The past four years have been nothing short of historic and memorable, but even more importantly, life changing.
“I am forever grateful for the opportunity to propel this program to an even greater place, not only winning four conference championships, tournament championships, and national championship appearances, but touching the lives of players, colleagues and alumni. The impact that has on Langston University surpasses any wins or losses.”
Vincent’s player accomplishments include two Defensive Players of the Year, two Newcomers of the Year, and one Sixth Woman of the Year. Additionally, he’s had three players named First Team All-SAC, two players named Second Team All-SAC, one player named Third Team All-SAC and two players named Honorable Mention All-SAC.
Langston University wishes Coach Vincent and his family the best of luck in their future endeavors.
“Coach Vincent will be deeply missed,” President Ruth Ray Jackson said. “His dedication to Langston University basketball––on both the men’s and women’s sides––helped elevate these programs to an elite level. His service and mentorship extended far beyond the basketball court, leaving a lasting impact on the entire Langston University community. We wish him all the best at Purdue Northwest and continued success in all his future endeavors.”
Langston University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Chris Wright has accepted a position as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at NCAA Division I program Alabama State University. A national search will be held to determine the next leader of Lion’s men’s basketball.
“Coach Wright’s impact on Langston University basketball has become legendary in just a few short years,” said Langston University Athletic Director Donnita Drain-Rogers. “The program, culture and championship level of play he created set the standard for small college hoops. I look forward to watching his impact on NCAA Division I basketball and celebrating his future success.”
In his four years at Langston University, Wright has amassed a record of 121-21, bringing a winning culture back to LU men’s basketball. His teams have made the NAIA National Championship Tournament each year, finishing in the Round of 16 in 2023 and 2025 and as the National Runner-Up in 2024 and 2026.
Wright’s time at Langston University has been highlighted with many historic moments. After inheriting a program that went 1-27 in the 2021-22 season, Wright engineered the single greatest turnaround in the history of college basketball when he took over the program in 2022. The Lions finished that season at 31-3 overall and climbed to No. 3 in the national polls. The program became the first ever HBCU to win the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season crown along with capturing the SAC Conference Tournament Championship.
His teams went on to win the SAC regular season title in 2022 and 2023, and SAC tournament championship in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
During his time at LU, Wright’s players conference accomplishments include 2 Players of the Year, 3 Newcomers of the Year, 2 Defensive Players of the Year, in addition to 6 players on the All SAC First Team, 3 players on the ALL SAC Second Team, 4 players on the All SAC Third Team, 6 All SAC Defense players and 1 All SAC Freshman. Nationally, five of his players achieved NAIA All-American status.
Most recently, during the 2025-26 season, the Langston University Lions achieved a 29-8 overall record, finishing as the runners-up in both the SAC regular season and conference tournaments and earning the Lions the 4 seed in the Liston quadrant of the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship Tournament. They battled through five other teams before eventually falling to Freed-Hardeman University in the national championship game 76-71.
“Over the past four years so many people have poured their blood, sweat and tears into transforming Langston University basketball into what it is now, one of the most successful programs at any level of college basketball,” Wright said. “I am beyond thankful to all of you that have played a role in this incredible transformation. Leaving LU has proven to be the most difficult decision I have ever made in my life. To say that I love this place is a vast understatement.
“Ally, Reece and I are forever grateful for our time here. You have touched our hearts and have forever changed our lives. This is not a goodbye, but a, ‘See you later.’ L’s up.”
The program boasted a 3.14 team GPA in the Fall 2025 semester and was named a recipient of the NABC’s Academic Excellence Award. For his efforts in 2022-23, Wright was named the John Hudson SAC Coach of the Year, the NAIA National Coach of the Year by Hoopdirt.com and the Jack Bennett Man of the Year, which exemplifies winning with integrity.
Langston University wishes Coach Wright and his family the best of luck in their future endeavors.
“Coach Wright’s influence elevated not only men’s basketball at Langston University, but the institution as a whole,” President Ruth Ray Jackson said. “The expertise and passion he brings to the game is matched only by his care for our players and for their success beyond the court. I am proud of the four incredible seasons led by Coach Wright and his staff, and we wish him continued success at Alabama State.”
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 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.’”
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.
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).”
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
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.
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).”
Langston University is set to celebrate 129 years since its founding with a week of ceremonies and celebrations in Langston and Tulsa. The events will include musical performances, the annual Founders Day Program and an Inaugural Founders Week Celebration Gala.
The Langston University Department of Music will present The Chamber Collective musical performance on Tuesday, March 10. This collection of small ensembles will feature both choral and instrumental performances. The event will be held in the I.W. Young Auditorium on the Langston Campus at 6:30 p.m.
The annual Founders Day Program will be held at the I.W. Young Auditorium on the Langston Campus at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 12. The theme for this year’s program is “Honoring Our Past, Empowering Our Promise,” and the featured speaker will be Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, Founder and Executive Director of the Terence Crutcher Foundation.
Dr. Cruther is an alumna of Langston University, and she is a nationally recognized justice advocate, community leader and social impact advisor. As Founder and Executive Director of the Terence Crutcher Foundation, she leads transformative initiatives focused on public safety, criminal justice reform, economic mobility and community healing. She also serves as a Founding Board Member of Justice for Greenwood, Senior Advisor to Black Tech Street and Advisor to Roc Nation’s United Justice Coalition.
Langston University will end the week with the Inaugural Founders Week Celebration Gala in Tulsa on Saturday, March 14.
The Founders Week Celebration Gala, a black-tie optional event, will include a formal dinner, awards presentation and live music. There will also be a special presentation to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling program, which has since spurred the creation of a bachelor’s program, the formation of the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, the establishment of two federally funded Rehabilitation Research Training Centers, and the creation of a post-doctoral research program.
The Chamber Collective and annual Founders Day Program are free and open to the public. The Founders Week Celebration Gala is a ticketed event. Tickets can be purchased online at langston.edu/founders-week through Friday, March 6.
The Brothers of The Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity ,Inc., collaborated with Alexandria Wright, Director of Career and Professional Development, to donate professional men’s business wear to the Langston University Career Closet.
Wright reached out to Dr. Andre Washington, Associate Professor and Rehabilitation Counselor and Executive Director at the LU-OKC Campus, and informed him that the men’s department of the Career Closet was lacking. She asked him for some assistance.
Dr. Washington, in turn, reached out to his fraternity brothers to see what they could do.
“To donate not just to the brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi, but all young men on the campus, giving them an opportunity to get some things that they can enjoy and look professional,” Dr. Washington said.
The Brothers of the Alpha Pi chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., along with the Langston and Oklahoma City alumni chapters, donated 28 suits, 35 pairs of slacks, 33 ties, 18 pairs of dark socks, two pairs of brand new dress shoes and several button-down collar shirts.
This is one of the largest donations ever made to the career closet.
“I just really wanted it to be a space where students could come and feel comfortable to find things that they may not be able to afford or be able to get themselves,” Wright said. “Having events like this where we have organizations make donations are so important to the survival of the closet.”
The goal of the career closet is to provide students with new or gently used professional clothing attire. This is important because being in the Town of Langston can sometime prove make finding clothes infeasible. This causes students to drive outside of the town of Langston, so the Career Closet provides an alternative to the general expense of business attire.
Kevin Cox, Former state representative of Oklahoma City from 1980-2004, was awarded an honorary doctorate from Langston University in 2005 under the then-president, Dr. Earnest Holloway.
“Langston University has quality graduates that have achieved all over the United States and the world,” Cox said. “We already know that, but if you don’t show it, you won’t get a chance to prove it. You prove it in the interview and then become a successful individual.”
