When Jameco McKenzie was a young adult, he left his home in the Bahamas to attend college in North Carolina. His need to adapt to a new community and a new culture, away from his family, might be one reason why he relates so well to NC State students today.

Now as director of Multicultural Student Affairs at NC State, McKenzie is in a position to help other students who face similar challenges, whether they are new to college, new to North Carolina or even new to the United States.

“As director of MSA, I get to wake up every day and have the opportunity to work with our awesome staff and students,” McKenzie said. “I get to help them realize their dreams, find belonging here at NC State and persist through their education at the university.”

McKenzie sitting at a table and chatting with a student who is working on a laptop — McKenzie chats with a student working in the Multicultural Student Affairs office.

As part of that work, McKenzie and his MSA colleagues partner with others at the university to create culturally relevant experiences that help students make the most of their time in college. One of his first major achievements after becoming director in June 2023 was coordinating the Symposium for Multicultural Scholars, which gave new students an early welcome to NC State this fall and helped them navigate the campus. It was particularly intended for first-generation college students, who were paired with upperclassmen, faculty and staff who could help them adjust to college life.

McKenzie’s primary goal this year is for MSA to connect and collaborate more frequently with academic units and departments across campus. Over the long term, he wants to reenvision academic and cocurricular support for students and develop more experiential learning opportunities so they can put what they learn in the classroom into action in their communities. His team has also started a pilot program in a professional development series that will help students take ownership of their successes and develop confidence in their identities and abilities.

“We don’t want MSA to be the only home for the students we serve,” McKenzie said. “We want them to feel like they belong across the university.”

A selfie photo showing a group of people sitting around a white table in a conference room. — McKenzie in a meeting with his colleagues in the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity.

Finding a Home at NC State

McKenzie joined University Housing in 2019 as a community director for Wood Hall as well as two living and learning villages — Native Space and the Wellness Village.

“What really attracted me to NC State at that time was wanting to be in a space that had living and learning communities, and to be a part of building those communities” he said. “Being able to do that and also residence life was a really good combination that led me here.”

As community director, McKenzie helped the Native Space Village grow, and he worked with the Native American Student Association and NC State American Indian Advisory Council to help Native students build community. He has also served as an advisor for the Caribbean Student Association and as co-village director for the Black Male Initiative, another living and learning community that helps Black, male-identifying students find mentorship and belonging on campus as they develop their identities and leadership skills.

A group of people in red and black NC State clothing stand in front of a building with a sign that reads "National Museum of the American Indian." — McKenzie with Native Space residents at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

A large group of people in black University Housing T-shirts stands on outdoor stairs next to a residence hall — McKenzie and student staff in University Housing.

McKenzie and a group of students sit in a semi-circle and hold up their artwork in front of a wall decorated in photos. — McKenzie and students in the Black Male Initiative show their artwork as part of the village’s “I Am” exhibition.

In addition to his work with students on campus, McKenzie helped lead multiple civil rights trips sponsored by University Housing. Last year, he took students to Selma, Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama, where they got to visit the places where historical events happened and make connections to movements in today’s society. On another trip, he and a group of students visited Atlanta, Georgia, where they toured museums, engaged in future-oriented career discussions, discussed the efficacy of nonviolent principles and leadership practices, saw the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. and engaged with students at Morehouse College.

“What I enjoy most about working at NC State is that every day is different,” McKenzie said. “In one moment, you might be talking with a student and helping them navigate what is going on in their world, and other moments you’re talking to groups of people, you’re in meetings or you’re at events.”

McKenzie has made an impact in academia as well. He has been a co-instructor with Kanton Reynolds, director of undergraduate programs in the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, for a course called Leadership in African American Communities. He has also taught a class for the past three years called Foundations of Cultural Competence, which helps students understand how they can have more cultural humility, understand others’ perspectives and interact with people in various social and cultural settings.

A large group of NC State students on a wooden board walk, with the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the background. — McKenzie and students in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

While he has worked diligently to help NC State students better themselves through higher education, McKenzie has continued his own educational journey as well. Since earning his B.A. in mass communications from Methodist University, he has received his M.Ed. in higher education student affairs from Salem State University and his doctorate from Gardner-Webb University in organizational leadership. His Ed.D. consultancy research, titled “Holding Space: Developing Strategies To Center Education, Belonging and Inclusion in a Black Cultural Center at a Large Research-Intensive University,” focused on the African American Cultural Center at NC State. He has also earned graduate certificates from NC State in counselor education and from UNC Charlotte in antiracism in urban education.

McKenzie’s work on campus has benefited more than just students. He has served as a staff senator, representing the Division of Academic and Student Affairs. Along with Quashon Bunch, coordinator for recruitment and leadership in University Housing, he has also helped organize a Black history exhibition for University Housing during Black History Month the last two years. The exhibit is intended to help the NC State community learn about civil rights figures beyond the typical figures we learn about in history courses.

McKenzie takes a selfie in front of a large group of students in Stewart Theatre.

“I think the wide range of opportunities that exist at NC State is really what keeps me here, like being able to take students on these experiential trips, being able to engage with folks one on one, and being able to make a real impact,” McKenzie said. “Getting to work with students who are doing great things beyond the college environment is what excites me the most and why I’m excited to be part of the Wolfpack.”

Earning Accolades

McKenzie’s work to facilitate an inclusive environment at NC State has not gone unnoticed. Last year, he received an Award for Excellence from the Division of Academic and Student Affairs and earned a Chancellor’s Creating Community Award for his diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the university. Also in 2022, McKenzie received two NC State Ebony Harlem Awards of Excellence. The first was for his “demonstrated commitment to creating engaging spaces, encouraging collaborations and providing meaningful professional mentorship opportunities to racially minoritized staff peers.” The second was for “demonstrated commitment to helping students achieve success in the classroom and empowering them to discover their purpose outside of the classroom.”

McKenzie and other winners of Awards for Excellence in the Division of Academic and Student Affairs.

McKenzie holds up trophies for the two Ebony Harlem Awards of Excellence he received in 2022.

McKenzie holds a tablet displaying his dissertation on the Gardner-Webb campus.

In his new role, McKenzie is eager to help even more students find their place and purpose at NC State. He also looks forward to collaborating with more faculty and staff.

“MSA is a great place to be,” he said. “It operates like a community space. We want people to come into our space and connect with people, and we are really willing and happy to engage with different concepts and ideas that faculty and staff might have across campus and how we can connect and partner with them. We are open and excited to be part of the community.”

This post was originally published in NC State News.