ITTA BENA, Miss.—The votes are in, and the students of Mississippi Valley State University have decided who will lead them during the 2020-2021 school year.
On Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2, the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement held its annual Spring Elections online.
Dr. Ro' Shaun Bailey, assistant vice president of Student Affairs and Campus Life, said that despite introducing a new platform, the students’ participation was strong and the response was positive.
"First, the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement would like to recognize each of the 27 students who campaigned tirelessly for each respective position. Job well done," said Bailey.
"This was the first year that we utilized an online balloting platform here at the University for SGA elections, and we were pleased with the student's receptiveness to this method. Student participation, interaction and creativity was definitely a plus in this endeavor. Congrats to all the winners, and the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement looks forward to working with each of you," he added.
Jhah Cook, a senior majoring in biology and chemistry from Vinton, La., will serve as the 2020-2021 Student Government Association President.
According to Cook, she is now the third female MVSU Student Government Association, Inc. president in the history of the University; the last female president served 12 years ago.
“The reason I ran for this position is to come up with palpable change that will continue to propel MVSU in a positive direction," said Cook. “Any solutions that are put into place during my term must meet specific criteria to ensure that they will still be pertinent, even after the end of my presidency."
Cook’s platform is based on the following: Administrative Relations, SGA Improvements and Diversity & Inclusion.
"My personal goal for my administration is to tap into the unique unused potential that all of the students at MVSU possess. I want the SGA to improve the overall atmosphere at the University. I am pushing to begin active work on my platform this summer so that we can perform a series of honest evaluations before the Fall term," Cook explained.
The 2020-2021 Miss and Mr. MVSU will be Chyna Sawyers and Larozzo Shugart.
Hailing from London, Sawyers is an Engineering Technology major and a member of the MVSU Women's Basketball team.
Shugart is a Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) major from Gulfport, Miss. He is also the Chief of Staff for the MVSU Student Alumni Association.
Sawyers expressed how thankful she is to God, her family, and her fellow students of MVSU.
"Words cannot express how grateful I am for this opportunity. I am so humbled, blessed and honored to be elected to serve as the 68th Miss Mississippi Valley State University," she said.
Shugart echoed those sentiments.
"I am completely humbled at the opportunity to represent my University as the next Mr. MVSU. It is a dream come true,” he said. “I love Valley and it has meant the world to me to be a member of this community and this student body. I am thankful for all the support I received throughout this process."
Other elected student leaders include:
SGA Vice President
Kristopher Bond
SGA Chaplin
Natoyria Simmons
SGA Treasurer
Roy Riley, III
SGA Secretary
Kenyata Beller
Miss Senior
Sha’Rayia Stewart
Mr. Senior
Philemon King
Senior Class President
Justin Stevenson
Miss Junior
Ja’Keriah Ruffin
Mr. Junior
TaJuan Beckworth
Junior Class President
Eric Allen II
Junior Class Vice President
James Walton
Junior Class Treasurer
Darius McClung
Junior Class Secretary
Antonio Walker
Miss Sophomore
Takiyah Johnson
Mr. Sophomore
Keyjuan Meeks
Sophomore Class Treasurer
Jeremy Evans
Sophomore Class Secretary
Tyonia Blue