Celene MorrisKayla Crawford, crowned as the 79th Miss NCCU on Sept. 17, says she’s the perfect person to help younger Eagles find themselves.
A psychology senior from Upper Marlboro, Md., Crawford has a lot on her plate.
“I saw that students as a whole needed a boost in who they are as an NCCU Eagle, especially the freshmen and sophomores, because they missed so much of their time at NCCU due to the pandemic,” Crawford said.
Some of her new duties include being present at NCCU’s main events and gatherings.
Crawford appeared as Miss NCCU at rival football games against Winston-Salem State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
She has also been a regular at the Tuesday and Thursday 10:40 breaks in the Greek Bowl.
Crawford began building a name for herself right off the bat in her freshman year.
She’s been a SOAR leader for freshman orientation, was Miss Sophomore in 2019 and is a member of one of NCCU’s modeling troupes, Curve Appeal. She is also a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
“I chose to run for Miss NCCU because I saw that the school needed a boost in energy and school morale,” Crawford said.
During her campaign she stressed supporting underclassmen as Miss NCCU.
“The most enjoyable part during my campaign was connecting and talking with the students, especially the freshmen and sophomores, because they don’t have an idea about what goes on here at NCCU,” she said.
One of her line sisters and her close friend – Autumn Stafford – helped Crawford win the prestigious position.
“I was up with Kayla pretty much every night during her campaign – helping her make her posters, campaign gifts for the students and get ready for the pageant,” said Autumn Stafford, a senior criminal justice major.
“It was a lot of work, but she had a village around her to help out.”
The student body also seems to be excited to have Crawford representing their university.
“I have never known Kayla on a very personal level, but during every encounter I have had with her there has been extremely positive energy and I love that,” said business senior Morgan Goodwin.
“From those encounters and conversations with her, I believe she is going to do a great job as our next Miss and I am excited to see what she has in store.”
Despite being elected during a pandemic, Crawford remains optimistic and she has plans for making campus life more interactive.
“I am so extremely proud of Kayla,” said Stafford.
“As a student body, we elected her because we know she will uphold all of the promises she has made and will stay true to herself during the process. She is definitely the best person for the job.”
