Leadership Highlight

Leadership Highlight: Morehouse College’s SGA President Mark Nichols

In an effort to highlight the people who are leading colleges and universities across the nation, we at Watch The Yard reached out to Morehouse College and did an interview with Mark Nichols the 2022-2023 Student Government Association president.

The position of SGA president is a highly respected role and there is a special pride that one takes in being elected by their peers to lead. Nichols, who is majoring in Economics, is from Cleveland. He is a proud Fall 2021 initiate of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

We interviewed Mark Nichols, and talked to him about his position, goals, future and what it means to hold this type of leadership position in 2022-2023.

Read the full interview below.

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

As SGA President, I’ve learned to take it day by day, and that success isn’t always linear. You’ll have rough days, and it’s up to you to decide how you react. Of course, It’s hard to not take criticism personally when you’re in a position that you’re passionate about. However, you must remember that with every move you make, you fully represent the college, and each action has to be in the student’s best interest, so feedback is imperative. Among many other tangible skills. The biggest lesson I’ve taken from the SGA Presidency is that accolades are temporary, but the impact is forever; when leading, you must always be sure to do things to help people, and to take actions with proper intentions.

What made you decide to attend Morehouse College for undergrad?

I feel everybody attends Morehouse for the same reasons; to immerse themselves in black excellence and be surrounded by some of the most promising black men of the future. However, as you begin to expound upon your journey, your ‘why’ strengthens, and the spirit of mother Morehouse begins to run through you. As a black man in America, I needed to attend a college that was made for me. As I’ve matriculated through my degree in economics and prepared myself for graduation, I’ve begun to understand how much of a vanguard this college is to the African American community and, more specifically, black men. Statistically, black men are significantly less likely to attend higher education. So, for our institution to be so widely renowned and respected for producing innovative thought leaders who have shaped and changed our community’s narrative through advocacy, art, film, music, ministry, etc. I can’t help but be immersed in the joy that comes; When envisioning a degree with my beloved institution’s name on it, reaffirming that I made the right choice.

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

Morehouse has molded me into a more well-rounded leader. Many people believe that since most of our student body is African American males, we wouldn’t have much diversity to offer, which isn’t true. You learn as a leader here to empathize and comfort people who come from a completely different side of the diaspora than you. It’s a full-circle moment for me; to go from being cultivated, to the one cultivating younger students is heartwarming.

Morehouse has also taught me that knowledge is power; being the primary incubator of black male doctorates, I feel I must continue the standard and hold myself to the end of the bargain in pursuing my doctorate one day. No matter what you go through, these degrees are a sense of ownership that no one can take from you; and I appreciate Morehouse to the fullest for instilling that yearning for knowledge inside of me.

Lastly, Morehouse has taught me to be a servant leader. “To develop men with disciplined minds who will lead lives of leadership and service” is the mission of the college, from the social impact of those who came before us or the curriculum centered around minorities’ experience in the world today to even the conversations that spark challenging discussions on social issues. Morehouse does a great job of curating a group of leaders who, no matter what their desired career is, will still find a way to incorporate the essence of service into their final goal.

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

Some of the events our cabinet has had to offer this year are; our Scholarship/LinkedIn/Resume workshop series in collaboration with M.B.A. and CASA. A Headshot workshop for all classes of 26′ students, helping build their brand, educating the student body on how to land an internship in their perspective field, along with a crash course on what it means to be a black man in the work field. The G.O.T.B. (Get On the Bus) to New York and New Jersey, an initiative S.G.A. and the college administration, has to encourage upcoming students to attend H.B.C.U.s for college. The cabinet orchestrated the meet, the SGA91, to kickstart our first Fridays initiative and introduced everyone to the 91st administration. We hosted annual house walkthroughs bi-weekly at the college to hear the student’s current concerns. The cabinet orchestrated the Afrobeats cookout in collaboration with CASA, an event for people in the A.U.C. to enjoy good food with performances by mainstream Afrobeats artists.

As a cabinet, we kickstarted the S.G.A. N-tern academy, a program built for first-year students to understudy S.G.A. members and understand the organization’s ins and outs. In partnership with CASA, the cabinet orchestrated the R.S.O. Fair, an event for students to learn about registered organizations on campus. Lastly, our cabinet hosts weekly service Saturdays, where we encourage the student body to come out with the cabinet and volunteer in the surrounding communities. On our last service Saturday, we collaborated with C-100 to attend B.E.S.T. academy to talk to the youth to answer how we have made an initiative as a cabinet to better the surrounding communities.

How is your SGA administration/school currently working on attending to the mental health of students?

The 91st administration has orchestrated multiple mental health events courtesy of the 86th Vice President Jason Roberson, who ran his campaign on the betterment of mental health. He’s led mental health efforts, under the cabinet implementing mental health Mondays; where the cabinet takes one Monday out of the month to provide a space for students to express themselves and learn more about coping and managing stress. He additionally successfully put together the puppies and plants initiative that brought students together to learn another way for them to manage their stress through the art of being a plant parent. Regarding future endeavors, the cabinet will have our annual mental health week and our first inaugural physical health week in the spring, along with a directory of all student resources on campus to better enhance the well-being of all students here at the college. The cabinet hopes to continue to expand upon the healthy habits we’ve adopted to stay well-balanced and at peace as student leaders. But also how to not only feel our feelings but accept them at the moment; we want all students to know they’re not alone.

What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership, to me, is to be actionable, transparent, and an avid listener. As a leader, your sole job is not only to be a microphone but an overall advocate for the well-being of the student body.

We now live in a digital world, what do you think schools need to do to represent themselves online in 2022/2023?

I think students must utilize the power of social media. In an age where people are on their phones the majority of the time. Colleges and universities need to stay attuned to the trajectory; whether making a Tiktok page or posting Instagram reel promotion, colleges or universities need to maintain an innovative personal brand.

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

As black people in America, we must have positive media on our feeds when scrolling through Instagram. Watch The Yard provides black individuals across the country a platform for our voices to be heard. But a platform for our community to perceive excellence in its rawest capacity, which I believe has a positive domino effect on our community.

What do you plan on doing after graduation?

After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in consulting. I accepted a job offer at EY-P in the Atlanta office. I’ll be starting this summer full-time, later pursuing my MBA. After my career in corporate, I plan to branch off and pursue a career in politics eventually. But I aim to earn my doctorate in economic politics, and a master’s in economic development. My eventual end goal is to be the mayor of Cleveland one day.

We at Watch The Yard would like to commend Mark Nichols for his work as the SGA president of Morehouse College.