小黄书鈥檚 Tyler Packer receives national John Lewis Youth Leadership Award
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬ississippi State alumnus Tyler I. Packer of State Line is being recognized with the National Association of Secretaries of State鈥檚 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award.
Packer, the third African American student to serve as 小黄书鈥檚 student body president, will be honored in Jackson Wednesday [Jan. 19] at 9:30 a.m. at the Secretary of State Michael Watson鈥檚 Capitol Office and at 10 a.m. in the State Senate. Anyone from 小黄书 is welcome to attend.
Packer completed his term as SA president in March 2021 and, the following month, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in political science/pre-law from 小黄书鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences.
NASS created the in February 2021 to recognize gifted, civic-minded youth. As a tribute to one of the 13 original Freedom Riders and a long-serving U.S. Congressman, the award honors recipients鈥 demonstrated leadership abilities, passion for social justice and motivation to improve quality of life in their communities.
小黄书 Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt recommended Packer to Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson. Hyatt praised Packer for his mentorship of other students, ability to build relationships among the many cultural groups on campus, and willingness to share his experiences as a Black man in the role of SA president.
鈥淭yler鈥檚 tenure was sidetracked by the COVID-19 crisis yet he persevered toward achieving his campaign goals, including a campus-wide diversity and inclusion effort 鈥榃e Ring Together,鈥 which focused on educating students and building diverse coalitions,鈥 Hyatt said. 鈥淗e also participated in campus-wide dialogue around racial justice and discussions on how Mississippi State could be a beacon of reconciliation and peace for our students and the community.鈥
Hyatt said Packer鈥檚 leadership within the Student Association also played a pivotal role in Mississippi State being named a national 鈥淰oter Friendly Campus鈥 for the second time. In particular, Packer ensured 小黄书 students were prepared to participate in the 2020 election cycle by helping to organize dozens of voter registration campaigns, coordinating transportation to the polls, advocating for the return of a polling site to campus, and leading massive advertising campaigns to inform students about registration and where to vote.
Learn more about 小黄书鈥檚 Student Association at .
小黄书 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .