Langston University student selected to further President Obama’s White House initiative on HBCUs

Langston, Oklahoma – Mira Bakine was the only student chosen in the state of Oklahoma to serve as an ambassador of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

She is traveling to Washington D.C. on Sept. 20 – 23 to participate in the White House HBCU Week Conference with Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education.  Along with other selected students, she will share ideas and discuss how to create the largest impact when she gets back to campus. She is already working on a number of projects to set this into motion and is determined to see change on the Langston campus.

Bakine is a junior Biology major at Langston University that was recently selected out of more than 450 applicants to serve as a 2015 HBCU All-Star. She applied for this position over the summer and her efforts are a direct reflection of the passion she has for her campus and President Obama’s White House Initiative.

She knows what it takes to make a difference. “You have to go above and beyond the requirement of campus involvement,” Bakine said. “You can never truly become a leader that makes a difference until you first learn how to serve.”

Bakine is a McCabe Scholar in the Edwin P. McCabe Honors Program and currently holds a 4.0 GPA. Her campus involvement includes serving as a University ambassador, appointed chair of the Academic Committee for the Senate of the Student Government Association, and appointed fellowship and intake chair for the Langston University Chapter Of The Society of Distinguished Black Women. She also serves as the president of the Biology Club and works closely with Charmaine Naidoo, Ph.D., a professor in the Biology Department that serves as her faculty advisor.

“Ms. Bakine is a disciplined and determined student,” said Naidoo.

“She responds to academic challenges with enthusiasm. I recently saw her planner and now I know how she manages to keep her grades up and still be involved.”

Bakine is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in biology. She aspires to become a pediatrician.

Langston University is located 12 miles east of Guthrie, Oklahoma. Langston offers more than 38 degree programs, including 5 masters degrees and one doctoral program. To learn more about Langston University, go to www.langstonuniversity.edu.