<\/a>Taylor Bembery
\nAssociate Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n

The coronation of D\u00e9ja D. Knight, Miss Jackson State University 2013-2014, is approaching and there are some things you should know about the senior computer science major who reigns as queen and represents JSU for an entire school year.<\/p>\n

Knight was honored by the Jackson City Council on Oct. 8th with a resolution sponsored by Ward 3 Councilwoman, Larita Cooper-Stokes.<\/p>\n

The resolution noted her high academic standing as an honor student, a Dean\u2019s List scholar every semester and a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. Cooper-Stokes said: \u201cHer acumen in the scholarship area exceeds her beauty.\u201d <\/p>\n

Knight thanked the group. \u201cI\u2019m honored. JSU definitely holds my heart and I love what I do.\u201d
\nMany queens have reigned at the university but Knight says she is different from previous queens.
\n\u201cAs many know, I\u2019m not the \u2018girly girl\u2019, jeans and tennis shoes are my best friends. I\u2019ve always been that way. On any given day, you can catch me with my jeans, Nike\u2019s, and my hair pulled up into a puff,\u201d said Knight.<\/p>\n

D\u00e9ja says that growing up with no siblings made her shy and that quality reappears sometimes but she believes that she is now much more confident and unreserved. She plans to implement her \u201cRace to Excellence\u201d platform very soon. <\/p>\n

\u201cExciting news – I took my LSAT on October 5th! Unfortunately, my preparatory course for that test ran into the school year, so I apologize to the student body for not already starting my programming. But I had to ensure that I was in \u2018The Race to Excellence\u2019 before I could lead the race. With that being said, I have already established connections with community leaders and even the administration at Blackburn Laboratory Middle School. Before the end of October, the journey to develop college-ready youth will begin. I am extremely excited and I hope that JSU is as well,\u201d said Knight.<\/p>\n

D\u00e9ja volunteers time to teach science, math, engineering and dance to children and youth during her summer breaks through various programs such as the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids through the National Society of Black Engineers. <\/p>\n

Many have heard D\u00e9ja exclaim, \u201cI can\u2019t believe I\u2019m Miss JSU!\u201d With a humble disposition she explains her disbelief. <\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, remembering where I was as a freshman, I am still amazed by how much I\u2019ve grown. The thought of the student body trusting me enough to be such an ambassador for the university is humbling in-and-of itself,\u201d said Knight.<\/p>\n

She explained the journey of becoming Miss JSU was not easy but it was constant encouragement from her family, friends, and student body that kept her eyes on the prize.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can honestly say every time I\u2019m feeling discouraged, there has been somebody who has come along and given me encouragement just in time. It is those people who keep me going through this year,\u201d said D\u00e9ja.
\nClara Saafir, D\u00e9ja\u2019s mom, was one of those that encouraged her to reach for her dreams.<\/p>\n

\u201cI watched the idea of becoming Miss JSU brew in D\u00e9ja \u2018s spirit. First, she mentioned it casually\u2014I think just to get my reaction. She mentioned it again, noting that someone suggested she run. Soon after, I could hear in her voice that the seed was planted, and she was committed to it. During the preparation and campaign, I supported D\u00e9ja, encouraged D\u00e9ja, and even pushed D\u00e9ja. At first, she allowed me to believe she was heeding my advice and taking my suggestions, and I\u2019m sure some she did. But after a while, I realized D\u00e9ja was simply pacifying me to some extent,\u201d said Saafir.<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cShe knew precisely what she needed to do to run an effective campaign that genuinely reflected her true spirit and heart. That was a moment of growth for me! As difficult as it was, I took a few steps back and just watched. To this day, I still rejoice! Not just in her victory, but in the dimension of D\u00e9ja I came to know. \u201c<\/p>\n

The position of Miss Jackson State University requires a lot of time management. Miss JSU does not only wear a crown and sash. She is a woman of service and scholarship. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis position absolutely requires a system to balance every obligation. I plan every hour of every day as best I can so that I can be sure that I get everything done. Academics are extremely important to me, so I don\u2019t let anything interfere with classes. There are never enough hours in the day, so I\u2019ve learned to seriously prioritize. With so many people willing to help me, it all works out,\u201d said Knight.
\nSaafir believes that her daughter\u2019s position as Miss Jackson State University has transformed her into an admirable young woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cI admire D\u00e9ja for staying true to herself. I admire D\u00e9ja for maintaining life balance and keeping her eye on her priorities and goals. I admire D\u00e9ja for keeping a positive outlook and seeing the glass half full. I admire D\u00e9ja for strategically approaching every obstacle and finding motivation in every challenge. I admire D\u00e9ja for loving God and acknowledging His hand in every blessing. I admire D\u00e9ja for enjoying life as she does all of that,\u201d said Saafir.<\/p>\n

Some students shared their anticipation of coronation.<\/p>\n

Jade King, a junior biology pre-med major from Detroit, Mi., said Coronation is always an event to look forward to.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super excited about Coronation. I\u2019ve talked to Deja and it hasn\u2019t really hit her yet. I think on the day of her Coronation she is going to feel it. Deja is a super sweetheart, she is going to work and make sure she gets the job done as Miss Jackson State University. Whatever events she has planned I feel they are going to be successful and her royal court will back her up all the way,\u201d said King.<\/p>\n

The Coronation of D\u00e9ja D. Knight, Miss Jackson State University 2013-2014, will take place Thursday, Oct. 17th at 7 p.m. in the Lee E. Williams Athletics & Assembly Center.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Taylor Bembery Associate Editor The coronation of D\u00e9ja D. Knight, Miss Jackson State University 2013-2014, is approaching and there are some things you should know…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_plus_post_options":"{}","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2538"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2538\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}