K'mari PeedeKarleigh N’diaye was crowned the 82nd Ms. N.C. Central University on Oct. 24, 2024. She said she is eternally grateful for the journey and the people that led her to winning this position.
“Being Ms. NCCU means being a representative, an ambassador, and a voice for my peers,” she said. “I’m so blessed to be able to represent a university that I truly love. This campus has helped me grow in so many ways.”
During the campaign season, she based her platform off of the popular video game “Sims.” She wanted to advocate for women’s empowerment, community service and student-body engagement.
“I ran off of Sims because I believe it is a way to create your own life,” she said. “And you are in control of what you have, outside of what God has ordained for you.”
“With my platform, I wanted to motivate my peers and let them know this is their time to be innovative, think differently and be the change they want to see.”
N’diaye had a nontraditional childhood as an adult adoptee, a person who is adopted at 18-year-old, but she has not allowed that to stop her from achieving her dreams.
“If you asked 12, 14, or even 20-year-old Karleigh, I wouldn’t believe I’d be capable or deserving of such a position,” she said. “To any little girl who possibly had an upbringing like mine, or just a tough one, I’m here to show them that they can be a queen.”
In 2022, she was crowned Ms. Sophomore, which sparked her interest in running for Ms. NCCU. Her biggest supporters have been her sorors, Mama Queens [former NCCU queens], Jamaal “Mr. J” Searcy, Heather Davis and Kitt Williams.
“They saw something in me and pushed me to become a better version of myself,” N’diaye said. “They made me realize that I was able to tackle such a task.”
As Ms. NCCU, she plans to motivate the student body. The royal court’s purpose is to be ambassadors for the school and serve as a point of reference for the students.
“Understand that this is where you build your brand,” she said.
For the student body and for anyone wanting to run for this position, N’diaye wants you to believe in yourself and always be intentional with every day you spend at NCCU.
