Old Dominion University (ODU) Black students have made remarkable contributions and achievements to the university that foster community service, activism, and advocacy while also creating new and innovative opportunities for other students. I had the honor to interview three of ODU’s Black Organization leaders on their experience and success at ODU. Here is what they had to say.
Kiara Barnes
Kiara Barnes, a senior at Old Dominion University, has exhibited continued excellence and success. After speaking with Barnes about her experience with ODU, she chose to discuss her Queen in You accomplishments along with her personal success. As the president, Barnes has grown Queen in You to an extensive 72 members. As one of those new members of Queen in You, I have seen Barnes show outstanding leadership skills, team management, and professionalism.
This semester, Barnes’ organization has hosted many events, especially during the organization’s “Queens Week.” This week was full of events that exemplified Queen In You’s mission statement of empowering female students towards academic, personal, and professional success. The core of Queen in You is to support the mission statement through fellowship, community service,and professionalism. Queen in You also has done multiple campus clean up events this semester motivating students to be involved with community service on campus. Queen in You has also hosted events encouraging young women to learn professional development and what resources are available to better their network.
As the semester concludes, Barnes has planned for Queen In You to work on ODU’s first Mr. Queen in You pageant to encourage young men to dedicate themselves to being young professionals, while also training and supporting them in raising money for their charity of choice. Barnes explains that in Queen in You, she sustains relationships with men and women within the organization, as she has a completely full executive board that provides a healthy work-life balance and also offers a friendly and supportive sisterhood.
When speaking to Barnes about her passions for music, travel, and higher education, she mentioned she is the section leader of altos for choir. Barnes was also the first in her family to study abroad by studying in South Korea. After her experience with studying abroad she provided advice and guidance to those who wish to study abroad. Barnes did this through her position at Queen in You, creating a panel event for students to ask questions and access to resources. This highlights Barnes’ empathy for her community as she self chartered her course due to no professor sponsoring the education course she wished to study.
Although Barnes has had major success throughout her college career, she revealed that her time at ODU was not always full of opportunities and accomplishments. Barnes explained that during her freshman year, she contemplated transferring due to housing concerns and a passion to dig deeper into her musical talents. She expressed that ODU’s housing situation initially discouraged her from continuing her college career on campus. However, after being rejected from the school she wished to transfer to, she decided to push forward at ODU. This rejection was more so protection for Barnes, as she has proven herself time and time again through her accomplishments.
Christian Allen
I had the pleasure of also meeting with the brother organization to Queen in You, King in You. I met with Christian Allen, a sophomore at ODU and the president of King in You. He chose to highlight his personal triumphs and his experience being president of King in You. Allen explained to me that during his freshman year, joining King in You helped him build himself into the man he is today. During his time with the organization, he raised his 2.8 GPA to a 3.42 GPA in just one short year while also becoming president of his organization. He revealed that this kind of progress is the purpose of King in You—empowered men empowering the next generation of gentlemen. He is set to change the lives of his members for the better by helping them in any way he can, whether that means becoming more involved on campus academically and socially, or simply helping in every way possible.
Allen explains that through his leadership he implements the quote, “Come as you are.” Because of his faith, he believes that just as Jesus invites the weary and broken to come to Him to find rest, he invites the weary and broken to find community and support through him and the organization. Allen shared that it is highly beneficial to join the organization during these four years and apply everything taught in King in You to build a stronger sense of self. He emphasizes that this will support growth beyond graduation and will carry into bigger goals such as marriage, family, and career. He expresses that this membership is not limited to these four years; it represents a lifelong commitment.
During this semester, Allen collaborated with ODU’s Black Student Alliance and different Black organizations on campus for a panel event on the Black experience. He states he is confident in his participation at this event, as he spoke on the real Black experience using the research he has been doing on Black social issues and conflicts.
When speaking with Allen, he noted that beyond his presidency at King in You, he has become more involved in his activism and has discovered different passions for music, writing, research, and content creation, as he shared he is currently working on new music and new articles for his Substack.
Allen’s goals for himself are admirable, as he plans to host King in You’s 2nd First Lady Pageant on May 3rd, which is a fundraising event for charitable causes. Allen is already a mentor to many as a young sophomore and hopes to continue pursuing his many talents. He encourages those who align with his beliefs to connect with him through his socials listed below.
TikTok: @nylthirty
Instagram: @804._baby
Instagram: @kinginyou_odu
Andrea Thomas
Lastly, I had the pleasure to speak with Andrea Thomas, a junior at ODU. She explained that the National Council of Negro Women had a remarkable fall semester as they focused on building structure, clarifying long-term vision, and strengthening sisterhood.
NCNW was chartered at ODU just under one year ago in May 2025. Although the section has only been active for one year, NCNW at ODU has made outstanding progress and success. Thomas expressed that the inspiration to bring ODU’s section of NCNW back to campus was to re-establish a legacy of advocacy and empowerment for Black women at ODU. When Thomas was asked about the process of chartering this organization at ODU she revealed it required strategic planning, collaboration, and dedication within the executive board.
As NCNW is a Black women’s organization, there is curiosity about how well supported Thomas and her team felt at ODU. When asked about this, Thomas stated it had been both a journey and a learning process. NCNW has had to work to obtain financial support, increase visibility, and align the goals of NCNW with the university. She also stated that there have been moments that needed persistence, but instead of this deterring her passion she views it as experience that has strengthened the organization’s leadership and resilience. Andrea Thomas and her team are committed to ensuring that NCNW’s mission is understood, respected, and properly supported on campus. Thomas states, “As Black women leaders, we continue to show up, advocate for ourselves, and create opportunities.”
Looking beyond Thomas’s organizational success, she has had her own personal growth and experience. Thomas still highlights her accomplishments within NCNW, as she has contributed to organized planning, development, and long-term sustainability. Her accomplishments don’t stop there, as she has also balanced her academics and other professional and extracurricular commitments.
Thomas is also working as a Marketing Intern for Monarch Dining at ODU, serving as an executive board member for Enactus, interning as a Social Media Manager, and many other outstanding roles. She shared that taking on these responsibilities has made her more disciplined with her time management and allowed her to prioritize self-growth by staying focused and pushing herself mentally and physically in her personal routines and professional preparation.
As a supporter of NCNW, I can attest that the work these women do is truly remarkable and inspiring. I had the opportunity to participate in the memorial service NCNW hosted on March 24 for our Lieutenant Brandon A. Shah, who tragically passed away in the March 12 tragedy. NCNW hosting this event, where students could come by and paint the rock, add a message, and pay their respects to those affected, was nothing short of beautiful and memorable. The empathy and compassion these women have shown has extended further than the university; NCNW is a lifetime membership that is nationally recognized and respected.
I also had the pleasure of attending NCNW’s interest meeting on April 1, and the enthusiasm and determination beamed through these women. Being a part of the audience gave perspective on how this organization is a sisterhood that protects and supports one another while also making impactful change. The Black women a part of this organization have demonstrated a kind of commitment to their community that is truly admirable. Andrea Thomas and her team at the ODU Collegiate Section of the National Council of Negro Women are destined for continued success, as they are mentors and leaders who have risen to the occasion time after time.
Black students’ impact on campus goes beyond the university; it is generational and personal. Black students have helped shape the nature of ODU by creating spaces for students to exist in their skin. There is ever lasting appreciation and recognition due to the Black students at ODU.