Congrats on being the first Miss Gamma Zeta 1949.
1) What are you involved in on campus?
I am currently Miss Gamma Zeta for the brothers of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. I’m also the vice president of NAACP and a TRiO scholar.
2) Did you ever think you would be a campus queen? What inspired you to participate in it?
I never thought I would be a campus queen. I am actually really shy and I’m mainly an introvert. So when the opportunity presented itself, I figured why not. I started my queen process due to some unforeseen life changes that were going on in my life during the Fall 2018 semester. I went into the pageant process with the thought of “I finally have something to keep my mind off of this anxiety and very dark place I’m in now”. Overtime, I think my inspiration of participation came from wanting to be a better me. I wanted to do something that would help me step out of my comfort zone to allow me to excel within my future career by becoming a stronger speaker, a better listener, an advocate for the youth, as well as minorities, and an intellectual thinker.
3) Have you learned anything in regards to sisterhood or womanhood while in this position?
Yes, I have learned quite a few things about sisterhood and womanhood in this position. I have learned how to separate business from personal, how to go about certain situations professionally, and how to carry myself with better care and quality without having to drastically change who I am as a person for other people’s liking.
4) What motivates you?
Something that motivates me is waking up every day saying “There is a light at the end of this tunnel”. There have been days when I have thought “I have so much work to do in so little time, how will I get through this?” Knowing that a particular assignment won’t last forever or this stress is temporary is really what keeps me going!
5) Do you have specific goals or hopes for Savannah State University this semester or year while in this position?
Yes, my platform is based around diversity and promoting excellence. I won’t go too deep into details, but definitely stay tuned for upcoming events in November.
6) Do you ever experience obstacles as a queen? What are some of them?
I have experienced quite a few obstacles as a queen; a few are disagreements as a royal court. We don’t always agree on everything, but we add ideas and alter ideas to collectively make them fit to our likings. Another one is keeping up with events. I’m such a busy person, and I want to be at every event. This isn’t possible at times because I have class, E-Board meetings, and other extracurricular activities that must be done first.
7) Do you believe there’s a misconception that people associate with campus queens?
Absolutely! I’ve heard people tell other people they would not make a good campus queen because of their appearance, in aspects of them not frequently wearing heals, dresses, jewelry, make-up etc. This is definitely a misconception because being a “queen” is truly about who you are within! As a queen, everyone’s goal is to inspire anyone they encounter, and that’s with or without a crown. So just because someone doesn’t dress a certain way does not mean they are not capable of being a queen; it’s deeper than that.
8) Do you have any advice or encouraging words for anyone?
I live by this quote “Your present is not your future.” I feel like as college students we go through so much stress and don’t know how to properly balance our personal life, social life, and school. We all come to college for different reasons, and some people come to seek the fortune of the unknown. It’s okay to not know what you want or what you would like to do in your future because the unknown prepares you for what is to come. I say this to say that if you are a college student stressing about your major, financial issues, family issues etc, it will work itself out as long as you do your part plus some. Remember that this trouble, worrisome, anxiousness, or however you may be feeling will not matter a year from today.
9) Any upcoming programs that you want to mention?
Phi Beta Sigma and Iota Phi Theta’s royal courts have teamed up to do a dorm storm October 5th in Alexis circle to gather toiletry items to donate to the Bahamas in response to the hurricane disaster that occurred a few weeks ago. We are also doing a raffle, as well as a Breast Cancer Awareness table October 9th in the King Frazier atrium where we will be educating students about breast cancer. A pageant interest meeting will be held on this day as well. We will have our annual pink out on October 30th! 10) Social media handles? IG: @GammaZetaRoyalCourt My Social media accounts on all platforms are @EmoniPrice_