Meet LGCIE’s Akeem Lloyd, “My Vision is the Students’ Vision”
As of December 2023, Akeem Lloyd (he/him) has joined the Lewis & Gaines Center for Inclusion and Equality (LGCIE) as its new Assistant Director. LGCIE, located in the Rondileau Student Union, is a space that advocates for multicultural students by providing resources, support, and programming that reflect students’ wants and needs. Lloyd described his role as managing LGCIE’s website, marketing the center, and implementing programs for the campus community.
Additionally, Lloyd acknowledges that “the students drive the work.” He added, “When it comes to advocacy, the closer you are to students, the better you can advocate for them. If I’m not building a relationship with students, then I’m not getting genuine responses from them to be able to do my job…I want to help them by utilizing my personal background, experiences, and network to help support them throughout their college journey. I also understand that part of the college experience is having fun. The last thing I want to be is not a safe space for them to come and release for the time of our interaction.”
Overall, Lloyd noted that implementing programs is his favorite part about his role. “I love being able to think about ways to creatively engage students, the process it takes to create and implement it, and the joy it brings students. Having this responsibility excites me the most.” On behalf of LGCIE, Lloyd’s first program will be an Uno Tournament in the center from January 29 through February 11 on Mondays at 12 p.m.
During his time here thus far, Lloyd found that becoming accustomed to the different lifestyles of our predominantly commuter student campus has proven difficult, but not impossible. “Learning that is extremely important for me because that helps me approach the work that I need to do in order to have the LGCIE center support them,” Lloyd said. He also describes his time as “welcoming, fun, and educational.” “To receive that type of welcome from staff, faculty, and students—that really warmed my heart. That is why, when introducing the center to students, ‘welcoming’ is one of the key terms I use.”
When asked what his vision for the center would be, Lloyd replied “My vision is the students’ vision. The more that I learn from them, the more I can do to bring it to life…I can come up with different ideas, but if that’s not what’s going to engage them, I’m not providing what’s best for our students.”
