REPRESENTATION

I came to CSU Pueblo in 2021 as a first-generation college student and track athlete from Gary, Indiana. I wanted to immerse myself in uncomfortable situations to promote personal growth – and it was easy to see how I would do that moving from the outskirts of Chicago to a city at the foot of the Rocky Mountains with very different demographics. In my hometown, about 80 percent of the population is Black, and African Americans are involved in all aspects of community life. Here, I found that many Black students were like me: athletes who interacted mostly in circles of other student-athletes.

I didn’t realize it when I arrived, but I would soon advocate for more Black student involvement on campus – starting with myself.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to focus on academics rather than sports, the opposite of what I did in high school. Two of our campus leaders encouraged me to revive CSU Pueblo’s Black Student Union, which had been inactive. To rebuild the community and showcase the faces of our Black students became a necessity for me, and I realized I love to help all students feel like they belong. Now, I’m in my second year leading the Black Student Union.

The position has helped me expand my knowledge, skills, and personality. I have represented our students at every opportunity – roundtables, discussion groups, surveys, and more. Entering student leadership has opened additional doors: Now, I serve as chief of staff for our student government, am involved with the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership, work as a peer mentor, and helped organize this year’s PackFest Music Festival.

Even more important, I’ve encouraged several other students to join leadership of the Black Student Union. They’ve told me how inspired they are and how much they feel truly seen as leaders. In fact, we recently had the amazing opportunity to meet with James Kvaal, under secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. The experience showed us how we can communicate the needs of students and influence knowledge and decisions at the highest level of government.

Involvement with representative government on campus has been impactful for me and other Black students. I’ve seen that what I do every Tuesday at 5 p.m. – whether voting on school fees or discussing topics important to students – replicates what happens in government beyond campus. We have learned to embrace ourselves, to understand differences, and to both agree and disagree while working toward a better future.

Photo at top: Shaylan Wilson is a junior studying psychology and media and entertainment at CSU Pueblo. Photo: Mary Neiberg.