From the president
Lee'RayVone has taken full advantage of his time at Augsburg. He carefully considers his plans and regularly confers with both staff and faculty regarding future opportunities. Lee'RayVone is the president of the brand-new Poetry and Meaningful Writing Club and writes spoken word poetry that utilizes his own experience to highlight issues of white supremacy, racial injustice, and economic turmoil. He launched the student organization at Augsburg as a way to connect with other students who want to use writing as a tool for social change. Moreover, Lee'RayVone has performed a number of spoken word pieces at major university functions, including but not limited to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation and Afrikan Night, both of which hosted hundreds of participants. Finally, Lee'RayVone is an active student leader, both as an Act Six Scholar and as a Community Advisor in Residence Life.
Personal Statement
Growing up in North Minneapolis, MN, I've witnessed and experienced various community issues like police brutality, inadequate mental health resources, gang violence, addiction, and much more. Despite hoping for improvement time and time again, conditions have persisted, birthed in the fabric of American society for centuries. If there is one thing that Critical Race has taught me since I first began my study, it's that these systems have been meticulously and oppressively constructed, and will require equal effort to dismantle. However, waiting passively for change isn't an option. As a Psychology and Critical Race & Ethnicity Studies student, I aim to develop and enforce this change and be the hope I have always wanted to see. Through leadership roles and education, I aspire to establish mental health-centered initiatives or non-profits in impoverished communities nationwide, combating the cycle of corruption and suffering forever, while also creating diverse mental health-oriented ecosystems across different supporting organizations, centering inclusive and equitable positive lifestyle development with the goal of creating a culture of support within these impoverished communities as well. I envision a world in which nobody has to ever “hope” for change to happen ever again, and I will make it a reality.