Voting for the prospective Freshman candidates began on Saturday, August 17, 2019, at the Student Union Building (SUB) in the Multipurpose Room from 6:15 pm through 7:15 pm. The positions the candidates were vying for were Miss Freshman and Freshman Class President. On Friday, August 18, voting for Freshmen only took place in the SUB at 1:15 pm through 2:30 pm. Later that day at 5:30 pm, the Freshman class election announcements were held in the E.E. Simmons Gymnasium. As a result, Bria Fells became Miss Freshman and Tazmier Johnson became Freshman Class President.
Tazmeir Johnson is from Alexandria, Louisiana and graduated from Alexandria Senior High School in May of 2019. During her high school career, Johnson was involved in many extracurricular activities such as Cheerleading, Volleyball and being apart of the Student Government Association (SGA). She served as the Class Representative which filled the gap between the Student Council and the student body. She would assure the students that their views and academic needs were heard and met.
Growing up, Johnson didn’t know anything about Alcorn State University (ASU) until her uncle, who is a former alumnus, invited her to a game. Later, she learned that some of her relatives attended Alcorn as well. After her experience, she then fell in love with the school’s family oriented atmosphere and was determined to attend an Historically Black College and University (HBCU). She is pleased with her decision and as a result, her major is Biology Pre-Physical Therapy and she plans on becoming a Physical Therapist.
Johnson decided to run for Freshman Class President because she is determined to make her Class of 2023 feel welcomed and to enjoy their Freshman year. “This is the starting block of our college experience. This is the time where students dictate if they would like to stay in school or explore other options and I’d like for us to stay and grow together as a family,” stated Johnson. She would like to host some events on campus on weekends because some students who are out-of-state cannot go home. She is very excited to show her class what she is capable of.
Bria Fells is from Gulfport, Mississippi and graduated from Gulfport High School in May of 2019. During her high school experience, she became Captain for the Cheerleading team. This was a big accomplishment for her because cheering was her passion. She enjoyed helping the other girls on the team and helping everyone’s vision come alive.
Fells decided to attend ASU because the majority of her family members attended the University and it is important to her to continue the legacy. She also sees herself making a positive impact on campus. Fells stated, “I would like to have mentorship events for females who can express themselves and feel comfortable in a judge free zone. As for males, I would like to have a picnic on the Green so they can play sports such as football, soccer, etc.”
Fells decided to run for Miss Freshman because she is a good leader and she’s very committed in everything she does. She wants everyone in her class to stay together so they can all graduate together as a unit. She wants them to interact with each other and develop life long bonds.
Johnson and Fells are excited to start their journey and make an impact on campus. This school year they plan to make the Class of 2023 feel at home and welcome. They have a lot of ideas in mind on what they’d like to see on campus and they are passionate about executing them.