Nix Huang ’25 is another first-generation student who is vice president of internal affairs with Student Senate, a member of LUSSI and a member of Lambda Theta Alpha, which started as a sorority for Latina women. Huang was born in China and lived there for 12 years before coming to the U.S.
She credits LUSSI with helping her transition to college as a first-generation student, particularly when it came to applying for financial aid.
“Our parents didn’t go through this. They didn’t have to apply for financial aid,” Huang said. “Financial literacy is a big thing for first-generation college students. In general, we don’t have much financial support.”
She said Lehigh’s diversity and inclusion efforts are a continuous effort that doesn’t stop when a single goal or metric is met.
“I would say Lehigh is continuously getting better, but things always come up, and when things do come up—not only on campus but global affairs that also affect college students—how we handle these situations is important,” she said. “There’s always room for improvement.”
Elijah Blayark ’25 is president of the National Society of Black Engineers, a member of Lehigh Student Senate, a former member of the Black Student Union Executive Board, a member of LUSSI and president of the Omicron Kappa Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at Lehigh, the only active historically Black Greek letter organization on campus.
Blayark, who comes from Minneapolis, says LUSSI is like “home away from home.”
“Whenever I needed support, they were always there,” Blayark said. As a student guide, he helps oversee a group of about 20 students, conducting one-on-one meetings with them throughout the semester to see how they are navigating Lehigh life.
“I think Lehigh can be a big culture shock for some of the students, and I think these programs help fill the gap between where these students are coming from and what their experience is going to be like at Lehigh,” he said.
