An undergraduate leader on the power of community, in many forms
“This year, I’m also president of the Black Men’s Group,” says Wanci Nana, A24. “I want to increase our presence in the greater community, engaging with prospective students and doing community service.” Photo: Alonso Nichols
I want to empower others. I don’t think there’s much value in doing things just for myself. In high school, I was very involved as class president. Now, at Tufts, I want to be someone that people are comfortable around and know they can rely on in any circumstance. That’s why I’ve built so many relationships and taken on so many responsibilities.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity holds profound significance for me. It connects me to a global network of brothers, all of whom are dedicated to serving their communities and each other, while consistently striving for individual excellence. The Rho Nu chapter was chartered in 1989 across MIT, Harvard, Tufts, and Babson. As a member, I’ve learned a lot about the campus climate for Black students across the Boston area, and how the people in my chapter have changed that climate. Now, as the chapter’s vice president and chair of programming, I’m placing greater emphasis on collaboration among schools and with different student organizations.
When we can create spaces and programming for people to come together socially, we can share so many resources and so much information. For example, this past semester, our fraternity worked on the Black Arts Brunch with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, featuring artists like the Ladies of Essence from Tufts. It was so beautiful seeing people from our community not only sharing space but bringing forward their art.
This year, I’m also president of the Black Men’s Group. I want to increase our presence in the greater community, engaging with prospective students and doing community service. I really look up to our advisors, Montez Paschall, A11, and Alonso Nichols, AG22. Montez has helped us grow and develop through his perspective as a Tufts alum and associate director of the Africana Center, while Alonso is the backbone and the guru of the group—he’s been here for nearly two decades. I’m a visionary, so I think really big and sometimes get caught up in that. Alonso gives that grounded view, asking, ‘Is this what people are asking for? Will that make tomorrow easier for whoever comes?’
—Biopsychology major Wanci Nana, A24
Our Tufts is a series of personal stories shared by members of the Tufts community and featured on both Tufts Now and Instagram.
