Leadership Highlight: AnThony T. Bowman The Student Body President of Livingstone College

In an effort to highlight the people who are leading graduate universities  across the nation, we at Watch The Yard reached out to Livingstone College and did an interview with AnThony T. Bowman the Student Body President.

The position of Student Body President president of a is a highly respected role and there is a special pride that one takes. Bowman, who is majoring in Biology, is a current senior.

We interviewed Bowman, and talked to him about his position, goals, future and what it means to hold this type of leadership position in 2020.

Read the full interview below.

What is the biggest thing you’ve learned as an SGA president so far?

The biggest thing I’ve learned as an SGA President is the importance of student advocacy. When elected as Student Body President, I already loved people and loved sticking up for people who may not have voice in certain “rooms” but my passion for student advocacy was truly birthed through my tenure as the Student Body President. 

What made you decide to attend Livingstone College for undergrad? 

Honestly, I just loved how small the school was and I liked how it was far enough away from home.

How has Livingstone College molded you into the person you are today?

Livingstone College has molded me into the person I am today with three simple lessons. The first lesson being, Never take no for an answer. I’ve always heard that saying growing up but never really new how to apply it until I got to Livingstone College. The second lesson that I learned was, Despise not small beginnings. Because I’m a man of faith, I understand that just because things look a certain way in the beginning doesn’t mean that’s how they will look in the end. Livingstone taught me not to beat myself up about how bad things may look in the beginning. Lastly, one lesson that my institution taught that played a vital role in the person I am today is to take care of my mental and emotional health. It is so easy to get caught up in the routine of the day to day task of not just a student leader but as a person, through my institution’s holistic approach to education I’ve learned to value the inner me.

What specific initiatives have you headed up this year and how do you think they will improve the school and surrounding community?

Specific initiatives that I’ve headed this year to name a few were “Man Time Real Talk”, “Mental Health Check In’s” and “Town Hall Meetings” I do think they will improve the school by allowing a more inclusive approach to hearing how students feel about things at our institution as well as acting as a platform for students to talk about the hard topics that beset them in their day to day life.

How is your school currently responding to the coronavirus and what is your SGA administration doing to help students?

Currently Livingstone College is closed for the remainder of the Spring 2020 Semester and we’ve moved to online learning. The Student Government Association of Livingstone College has made it our task to keep the voice of the student body amplified amongst this uncertain time in America and in the collegiate sector. With keeping the voice of the students amplified we’ve made sure to correspond with our Student Body Presidents at other HBCU’s to find the best approach for our student body in terms a revised grading policy as well as reimbursements of Room/Board Fee and Meal Plan.

How is the coronavirus affecting SGA elections for next year? 

Because of the response our institution has taken from the COVID-19 outbreak our elections are taking place virtually this semester and the student body will vote for their new student leaders via online voting system that we’ve created.

What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership to means that you not only have to lead with words but more importantly your actions!

We now live in a digital world, what do you think schools need to do to represent themselves online in 2020?

In my opinion, institutions should (after the the COVID-19 outbreak has been minimized and students are back on campus.) utilize the digital world even more and not just when we’re forced to do so.

Why do you think Watch The Yard is important to Black students and college culture? 

Watch The Yard is important to Black Students and college culture because it’s a place where no matter where you go, what you look like, or where you’re going you feel the love from all HBCU’s!

What do you plan on doing after graduation?

My plans after graduation include working for the federal government in the Health and Human Services Division and prayerfully relocate to Atlanta, GA or Washington, DC.

We at Watch The Yard would like to commend Bowman for his work as the SGA president of Livingstone College.

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