In an effort to highlight the people who are leading colleges and universities across the nation, we at Watch The Yard reached out to Coppin State University and did an interview with Justin A. Evans the 2022-2023 Student Government Association president.

The position of SGA president is a highly respected role and there is a special pride that one takes in being elected by their peers to lead. Evans, who is majoring in Business Management, is from Buffalo, NY. He is a proud Spring 2020 initiate of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

We interviewed Justin Evans, and talked to him about his position, goals, future and what it means to hold this type of leadership position in 2022-2023.

Read the full interview below.

What is the biggest thing you’ve learned as an SGA president so far?

The biggest thing I’ve learned as SGA President is that through all the endeavors of everyday life you have to remain resilient and determined. No matter if things are going your way or not with class or meetings with administration, your job not going right you must remain solid.

What made you decide to attend Coppin State University for undergrad?

Coppin welcomed me and gave me the sense of family when I toured here my junior year of high school. The aura that sat on campus gave family and I wanted to be apart of that.

How has Coppin State University molded you into the person you are today?

I never was involved with school and my community as I am now. Coppin gave me room to grow and make mistakes and gains that have molded me into the SGA President I am today.

What specific initiatives have you headed up this year (or are planning) and how do you think they will improve the school and surrounding community?

My Eboard and I plan to partner with career services to establish more workshops gearing towards more professional development to ensure the success of students when they graduate.

How is your SGA administration/school currently working on attending to the mental health of students?

We plan to to tackle insecurities such as food insecurity by opening a food bank on our campus for students so everyone can eat! Along with that, adding our newly implemented University hour to give students more time to tend to themselves.

What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership is very complex because there is no one definition of a leader and different leaders posses different qualities. I feel like anything I say would be an understatement but to sum it up as best as I can, leadership means to me staying the course. When all else fails are you able to remain motivated when there is no motivation and keep others motivated? Are you able to see greatness in other people when they cannot see it in themselves? Leadership means listening to take in not listening to react and being content in knowing that not everything ix cause for an immediate reaction because a leader keeps his composure.

We now live in a digital world, what do you think schools need to do to represent themselves online in 2022/2023?

HBCUs really need to invest in their marketing programs or committees to really boost their social media presence.

Why do you think Watch The Yard is important to Black students and college culture?

I think Watch The Yard is vital to the Black community because it highlights Black excellence all over the country.

You can take someone who doesn’t know enough about Black culture and sit them down and show them Watch The Yard and I guarantee they will walk away with a different POV of our people.

What do you plan on doing after graduation?

I plan on continuing my education via grad school or with a grad assistant position in my field to jumpstart my career.

We at Watch The Yard would like to commend Justin Evans for his work as the SGA president of Coppin State University.

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