Students who have looked through the Get Involved website recently may have noticed many events hosted by the AYA Ambassadors. This organization, housed in the African American Cultural Center, is not just a service organization, it is a strong and indestructible community that caters to African-American and other students at our university.
Named after the West Ghanaian adinkra symbol for the fern, the AYA Ambassadors on campus show and represent nothing but hardiness and resourcefulness throughout all of their programs, discussions, workshops and everyday endeavors this year. The AYA Ambassadors focus on maximizing the leadership potential and education of all of its members through an Afrocentric perspective.
Camerian Williams, a fifth-year studying psychology and social work and the secretary of AYA Ambassadors, was able to expand on AYA’s main mission and purpose.
“We are academic scholars here on campus and when the African American Cultural Center hosts events, we are the ones to help program and assist in any way necessary,” Williams said. “AYA also has the opportunity to partner with other key organizations and or centers on campus to discuss cultural competence in the African diaspora.”
Williams also spoke on the work the AYA Ambassadors does on campus.
“AYA is definitely one of the more active bodies in promoting and educating students in the African diaspora, as well as supporting the programs of other organizations and centers,” Williams said. “One of our main responsibilities is to educate about the history of the African American Culture Center, but, most importantly, we educate students on the African diaspora whether that’s through art, activism or research.”
This semester, one of the biggest and most memorable events the AYA Ambassadors participated in was Harambee!, Swahili for “pulling or working together,” which took place back in September. At this event, students were able to celebrate the beginning of the new semester, create lasting connections with one another and set goals pertaining to their individual growth. AYA also joined the U.S. Postal Service to celebrate Kwanzaa, an annual Pan-African holiday that brings family, community and culture together for many African-Americans.
This month, the AYA Ambassadors will be hosting the African American Film Festival Series, with the first film being screened on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Washington Sankofa Room in Witherspoon. They will be screening the film “The Issue of Blackness + _____,” which goes hand in hand with the theme of the AYA Ambassadors this year: intersectionality in the black community.
Additionally, AYA hosts weekly events, like the What’s on the Table event series, which is designed for students to come together, share perspectives, offer support and discuss the week’s most pressing issues with one another. The next What’s on the Table event will be on Friday, Nov. 9 at 3 p.m. at the African American Cultural Center. AYA is also involved with the AACC Dissertation Writing Group, which is a workshop for writers of doctoral dissertations and masters. The next writing session will be on Monday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.
John Miller IV, the program coordinator of the African American Cultural Center, as well as the second president of the AYA Ambassadors, reflected on the organization and why the organization itself and the programs are important to the students here at NC State.
“Now that I am in this professional role, it is so exciting to see how far this organization has come since I was president,” Miller said. “AYA definitely has a special place in my heart and the community. It is a place where you can go to get a hands-on exploration of the African diaspora. In addition, you get to experience what it’s like to work with university wide programming, meeting faculty and staff from all around the university, and all the speakers and artists we bring from all across the world. It is a great opportunity for students to engage, not only with what their major is, but the topics and issues they really care about.”
Miller was also able to expand on the new research program the AYA Ambassadors have implemented into their program this year.
“This year, we are taking an additional focus on research,” Miller said. “We are focusing on what it means to destigmatize research. At the end of your experience, we what you to be prepared to go into a research program, to go to graduate school, to do any research project. We want to emphasize to students that you already have the foundation; not just the research and scholarship foundation, but the identity affirmation foundation as well.”
Williams also spoke on how being a part of the AYA Ambassadors and how having the African American Cultural Center as a resource greatly impacted his life and time at NC State.
“I am one of those students who had a very hard time adjusting to college. It was definitely a culture shock for me academically and socially,” Williams said. “Not really being able to find a strong community of black students easily terrified me. So, I came to the African American Cultural Center and found AYA. All of the members became family over that semester. Whenever school or life is hard, I can always come here. It’s always so amazing and comforting to have someone to talk to and relate to in everyday situations.”
If you are interested in joining the AYA Ambassadors, email aaculturalcenter@ncsu.edu to ask for a link to the group’s application, which closes on Friday, Nov. 9.
