Lakaya Deegan

• Title: Student Employment Experience (SEE) Student Employee Award

Lakaya Deegan is a junior Sociology major with a minor in American Indian Studies from St. Clairsville, Ohio. She is being recognized for her work in the Center for Belonging and Social Change, where she has been instrumental in creating a community of belonging for Indigenous students on campus. She took the lead in revitalizing the Native American and Indigenous Peoples Cohort and is currently serving as President of this newly reestablished organization. She supports programs and events for the Center and hosts weekly meetings for NativeOSU, which provides space for all Indigenous students to find a space of belonging. She also serves on the American Indian Studies advisory committee, providing the student perspective for the minor and connecting students with Indigenous faculty and classes. Thanks to her efforts, she and her fellow OSU students can take courses on Native American Identity, American Indian Studies and much more.