2 LANGSTON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS NAMED 2023 WHITE HOUSE HBCU SCHOLARS
by Ellie Melero, Media Relations Specialist
Langston, Okla. – Two Langston University students have been named 2023 White House HBCU Scholars, marking the first time two Langston students have received the honor in one academic year.
The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities announced its 2023 HBCU Scholars on July 20, and Langston’s Lovette Mba and Charina Lancaster were among the 102 undergraduate, graduate and professional students to receive the honor.
“We are very excited that Lovette and Charina have been selected to represent Langston University as 2023 White House Initiatives on HBCU Scholars,” said Dr. Alonzo Peterson, the Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs. “These two students represent some of the best and brightest students here at the university. They are not only great students but render great service to the Langston University community.”
Since 2014, the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities has recognized exceptional HBCU students who have excelled in the areas of academic achievement, civic and campus engagement and entrepreneurial ethos.
Mba and Lancaster are the seventh and eighth Langston students to be recognized as White House HBCU Scholars since the program’s inception.
“I am honored to be chosen as a 2023 White House Initiative on HBCUs Scholar,” said Lancaster, a 2023 nursing graduate. “Being chosen is an exciting opportunity and I am proud to be a scholar representing Langston University, the only HBCU in the state of Oklahoma. Langston University has provided me with a great education, a wide range of opportunities, a powerful network providing many connections on campus within and outside of my major of nursing.”
This year’s cohort is the largest ever and includes students from 70 HBCU’s throughout the country.
White House HBCU Scholars will serve as ambassadors for the White House Initiative on HBCUs, the U.S. Department of Education and their respective academic institutions for the academic year. They will receive several networking and professional development opportunities throughout the year, including at the 2023 HBCU Week National Conference from Sept. 24-28.
“We know that they will take full advantage of opportunities to engage the other scholars, initiative staff, and industry partners on questions of innovation, leadership, and personal and professional development,” Dr. Peterson said. “Most importantly, we want Lovette and Charina to bring those experiences back to Langston University and share them with other students. This is a great opportunity for Lovette and Charina to help other Langston Lions with the knowledge they gain from the conference and the monthly master classes they will attend.”
Mba, a senior business management major, said she applied to the program because it aligns with her goals of community revitalization and economic development, and she’s excited to see what she will learn and what she can bring back to the Langston community.
“It is a great way to network with professionals in the industry I desire to work in and learn more about my passion for economic development on the national level,” Mba said. “I’m ecstatic to represent Langston University as a White House HBCU Scholar, and I cannot wait to experience all the new opportunities that come with the honor.”
Likewise, Lancaster said she’s excited to share her experiences and help the Langston community grow.
“I hope that by being chosen as a 2023 HBCU Scholar that I can help provide future high school graduates from New Mexico with information about Langston University and share my experience with them,” Lancaster said.
