¡°If you’re Asian American or from the motherland [Thailand] or from down south or up north, I feel something in common with you,¡± he said.

Sartyoungkul¡¯s experiences shape how he cooks and how he leads. As executive chef for Elon Dining, he focuses on creating meals that people recognize, enjoy and feel comfortable choosing.

¡°I love seeing people enjoy my food,¡± he said.

Noppanit ¡°Meena¡± Monaghan shares the same excitement for creating an enjoyable meal. As chef de partie, she prepares meals at the international station in Lakeside Dining Hall. She is also Sartyoungkul¡¯s mother and, together, they focus on getting the details right, from how a dish is prepared to how it lands with the people eating it.

¡°I work with students every day who are trying to make Elon a home away from home,¡± Monaghan said. ¡°It¡¯s important I try everything that goes out to make sure it is 100 percent right.¡±

That attention to detail often means learning dishes that are new to them. Sartyoungkul said they spend time researching recipes, studying techniques and planning menus to authentically reflect the food where students come from.

For Monaghan, that care shows up in small, specific moments.

¡°I made arepas for a student from Colombia and she loved it,¡± she said.

For Sartyoungkul, those moments explain why the work matters. A single meal can help one student feel familiar while introducing others to something new.

¡°Many international students miss the food from home,¡± he said. ¡°Providing familiar tastes helps students feel seen, valued and more at ease in their campus environment.¡±

That belief carries into how he works with student groups across campus. During Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Sartyoungkul partnered with the Asian Pacific Student Association to plan dining hall takeovers featuring Malaysian, Chinese and Japanese cuisines. Students identified the cuisines and worked with him to shape the menus.

For him, the process is as important as the food itself. It ensures the meals reflect what students want to see and what they want to share with others.

¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to feel left out,¡± he said. ¡°Whether you¡¯re vegan, from another country, have dietary preferences or religious needs or an allergy, we want to make sure there are options for everybody.¡±

That sense of care is rooted in family. Sartyoungkul describes himself as a third-generation chef who learned alongside his mother in the kitchen.

¡°Mom beats me at Asian foods, especially with her great stir fries and Thai noodle dishes,¡± he said. ¡°However, I am trained on European cuisine and steaks, so I have her beat there.¡±

Still, there are moments when their strengths meet in the middle. Those moments often bring people together.

At Elon¡¯s annual holiday party for employees, Monaghan manages a shrimp and grits station that regularly draws long lines of guests waiting for a plate. The dish reflects both comfort and confidence, with attention paid to technique as well as familiarity.

For Monaghan, the setting may change. The standards do not.

At work, their relationship is grounded in respect. They understand their roles and trust each other¡¯s strengths.

¡°My mother and I are very close,¡± Sartyoungkul said. ¡°While she is my mother, I am also her campus executive chef, and we both clearly understand and respect those roles.¡±

For Monaghan, the work always comes back to the people she serves each day.

¡°I work to make students smile,¡± she said.

Together, Sartyoungkul and Monaghan prepare food that reflects a wide range of cultures. Their work is guided by care, connection and a desire to help others feel at home, one plate at a time.

Elon honors Asian & Pacific Island Heritage Month

As part of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 51±¬ÁÏÍø is sharing stories through Today at Elon that highlight Asian and Pacific Islander students, faculty and staff who contribute to a campus environment where cultural identities and experiences are celebrated year-round. Throughout the month, Elon is also recognizing API Heritage Month through a series of events and programming.

Sudibyo, an assistant teaching professor of Spanish who joined Elon in 2023, brings a global perspective shaped by her Indonesian roots and academic journey. Through her teaching, research and campus involvement, she is creating spaces where students feel a sense of belonging, something she says first drew her to Elon.

¡°I really enjoyed the company of my colleagues, and they were such wonderful people,¡± Sudibyo said of her first visit to Elon. ¡°Then the students, during my teaching demo, were all engaged, and it just felt like a great place.¡±

Being from Indonesia, Sudibyo describes her academic path as somewhat ¡°random.¡±

¡°We don¡¯t speak Spanish in Indonesia, it¡¯s not our national language and we don¡¯t have a lot of connections to the Spanish-speaking world in that way,¡± said Sudibyo, who decided to major in Spanish.

Now, as a professor, Sudibyo focuses on bridging those connections, encouraging students to think beyond traditional cultural boundaries, particularly through her research studying the intersections of the Asian and the Spanish-speaking world. Her scholarship highlights stories that, she says, are often overlooked, including the history of the Philippines under Spanish colonial rule and the presence of Asian voices within Hispanic culture.

¡°Something I¡¯ve discovered that is not talked about a lot are the Hispanic Philippines,¡± she said. ¡°There are a lot of cultural productions, all in Spanish, and it was never taught to me as a graduate student. It became very personal.¡±

By bringing these perspectives into her courses, including ¡°Women¡¯s Writing in the Hispanic World,¡± Sudibyo is broadening how students understand language, culture and identity, while also increasing visibility for Asian narratives in traditionally Eurocentric spaces.

Outside the classroom, Sudibyo continues that work as a faculty-in-residence in the Danieley Neighborhood, where she connects with students on a more personal level.

¡°It¡¯s a very rewarding experience because you get to interact with students outside of class,¡± she said. ¡°They get to see me as a human being.¡±

She also serves as an advisor to the Polyglot Living Learning Community, helped launch the Spanish Club in Fall 2025, and channels her passion for event planning into creating inclusive, community-building experiences.

For Sudibyo, mentorship is one of the most meaningful aspects of her role, and central to creating spaces of belonging.

¡°Seeing the students¡¯ growth and seeing them reaching the goals that they¡¯ve said they wanted to do¡ªI think that¡¯s the most rewarding part,¡± she said.

That impact is also felt by her students.

¡°Dr. Sudibyo has impacted me at Elon by being a mentor for me as a student but also as a person,¡± said Hailey Landers ¡®28, president of the Spanish Club and a dance science major from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. ¡°Her guidance and genuine support have made a lasting difference in both my personal and academic journey.¡±

During API Heritage Month, Sudibyo¡¯s presence on campus also carries deeper significance. As one of the coordinators of Elon¡¯s API Employee Resource Group, she is intentional about increasing visibility and challenging narrow perceptions of what it means to be Asian.

¡°When we say ¡®Asian,¡¯ a lot of us think of East Asia,¡± she said. ¡°For me, it¡¯s important to show up because it shows Asia is a diverse continent with so many cultures and so many languages.¡±

Through her teaching, mentorship and advocacy, Sudibyo is helping ensure that diversity is not just acknowledged at Elon but actively understood, represented and celebrated.

Elon honors Asian & Pacific Island Heritage Month

As part of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 51±¬ÁÏÍø is sharing stories through Today at Elon that highlight Asian and Pacific Islander students, faculty and staff who contribute to a campus environment where cultural identities and experiences are celebrated year-round. Throughout the month, Elon is also recognizing API Heritage Month through a series of events and programming.

As part of their Social Studies Methods and Materials course, students are encouraged to critically examine their understanding of U.S. history, with particular attention to voices and perspectives that have been historically marginalized or omitted.

The museum visit extended this work in meaningful ways. Located at the original site of the 1960 Woolworth sit-ins, the museum offers an immersive opportunity to engage with the lived experiences of the Civil Rights Movement. Being in the space where history unfolded allows students to move beyond texts and develop a deeper, more personal understanding of the courage, resistance and collective action that shaped this pivotal moment.

Throughout the semester, students also participate in a weekly book club featuring texts that center historically marginalized perspectives. These discussions foster critical reflection, dialogue, and a deeper awareness of how history is constructed and taught.

Together, these experiences support principles of responsive and inclusive teaching while aligning with state and national social studies standards. In this way, teacher candidates begin to see teaching as a relational and reflective practice, one that calls them to honor diverse histories, foster meaningful connections, and create learning spaces rooted in equity and belonging.

As graduation approaches, Wible now looks back on the encounters and experiences that helped her better understand herself and shaped the impact she hopes to leave as she crosses the stage in May.

¡°Before Elon, I didn¡¯t really have any attachment to my heritage,¡± Wible said. ¡°I¡¯ve learned so much about myself since being here.¡±

To fully understand Wible¡¯s journey, you must begin at the start. The daughter of two adoptees ¡ª one from Korea and the other a white American ¡ª she did not grow up in her small Pennsylvania hometown with a strong connection to her Korean heritage.

¡°I never had a clear sense of this part of me, since both of my parents are adoptees,¡± Wible said. ¡°Coming from a predominantly white school and community, there were times when I felt that my Korean heritage was something to be ashamed of.¡±

Wible said that changed when she was admitted to Elon. She recognized college as an opportunity. ¡°I knew I would have better resources and outlets to put myself out there and learn more about Pan-Asian cultures,¡± she said.

Looking for those opportunities, Wible first explored her identity through the university’s Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education¡¯s SMART Mentor Program. She remembers it as a leap outside her comfort zone, but one she knew could open new doors.

That one decision changed the trajectory of her Elon experience. Through the SMART Mentor Program, Wible met Anna Marchesseault ¡¯24.

¡°She introduced me to all of her friends, and they helped me attend more events and find community early on,¡± Wible said.

Wible¡¯s exploration of her identity has also taken shape in an unexpected place ¡ª her home.

Living with two other Elon students of Asian heritage, she found a space to explore her culture through everyday behaviors.

¡°It was my roommates decorating for Lunar New Year and teaching me traditions, like cleaning the house before the Lunar New Year holiday,¡± Wible said. ¡°I just never realized those were things that happened.”

What may have seemed like small moments became meaningful opportunities for connection and growth.

Finding community through connection

With the encouragement of her new friends, Wible began exploring her heritage by attending events, such as Food for Thought and previous API Heritage Month programs

These steps would eventually lead her to deeper campus involvement, including membership in Elon¡¯s Associate Chapter of Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Incorporated, a sorority open to anyone interested in Pan-Asian cultures.

¡°We aim to promote an inclusive sisterhood while giving back to the community and celebrating culture, especially in a space where there aren¡¯t many of us,¡± Wible said.

This mission is reflected in the sorority¡¯s guiding pillars of service, academic excellence and cultural awareness across university campuses and communities. As the current president of the Associate Chapter at Elon, Wible serves as the organization¡¯s on-campus face and primary contact, as well as a member of the sorority¡¯s national marketing staff.

Beyond her responsibilities as president, she has served as a mentor and demonstrated strong leadership within the sorority.

George Dou, assistant director of the CREDE and advisor to the sorority, praises Wible¡¯s presence and contributions to the university campus.

¡°Reagan is someone who¡¯s passionate about what she does,¡± Dou said. ¡°Many student leaders are, but Reagan has always expressed a desire to improve upon what she¡¯s given and to excel rather than being content with simply being satisfactory.¡±

As Wible has invested in the organization, the sorority has also become a space where she has further discovered herself, explored her identity and developed her leadership.

¡°I want to build relationships across organizations and show that even if we come from different backgrounds, there are still ways we can connect and learn from each other,¡± said Wible, who also serves on the executive board of the Multicultural Greek Council.

That vision has taken shape through her efforts to strengthen relationships across chapters.

¡°Reagan doesn¡¯t just support Elon KPL members, but supports our (members) all over the country,¡± said Bella Pelini ¡¯27, a member of the Associate Chapter of Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Incorporated, who considers Wible a mentor. ¡°She is always the first to ask Elon (memberS) if we want to join her at other North Carolina school cultural events or reveals. She has helped us strengthen our sisterhood throughout all of North Carolina and beyond.¡±

These actions reflect the legacy Wible hopes to leave on campus and bring her journey full circle, from the moment her mentor invested in her upon arriving at Elon. As she looks ahead, Wible is considering graduate school and pursuing a career on a college campus.

She hopes to leave a lasting impact on the community she has built at Elon by encouraging others to pursue new opportunities. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone,¡± Wible said. ¡°It might be scary, but it can change your life in a really positive way.¡±

Elon honors Asian & Pacific Island Heritage Month

As part of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 51±¬ÁÏÍø is sharing stories through Today at Elon that highlight Asian and Pacific Islander students, faculty and staff who contribute to a campus environment where cultural identities and experiences are celebrated year-round. Throughout the month, Elon is also recognizing API Heritage Month through a series of events and programming.

¡°I chose Elon because I didn’t want an environment where I was just a number,¡± Wright recalled.

She knew she wanted an environment where her professors not only knew her name but knew her as a person and were able to support her in her academic journey. And Wright found that supportive community at Elon, from classmates who study together to professors who assist her with research to staff members who help her find community.

Like many Elon students, Wright is involved in several clubs and organizations. The biochemistry major serves as vice president for the Asian-Pacific Student Organization (APSA), volunteers as a SMART mentor, works as a tour guide for the Office of Admissions, and dedicates free time to the Open Door Clinic of Alamance County.

Building Community

Wright also conducts undergraduate research in public health.

When she first arrived at Elon, Wright attended a handful of APSA events and stayed after to help clean up, which caught the attention of then-president Nhat ¡°Ivan¡± Nguyen ¡¯25, who encouraged Wright to join the executive board.

¡°I’m an Asian adoptee and I was like, ¡®Oh, I’m not Asian enough to be on the exec board. I don’t know my native language,¡¯¡± Wright said when Nguyen tried to recruit her to a leadership role in the organization.

But when Wright continued attending APSA events, Nguyen kept showing her that there is more than one way to express an Asian identity. Through APSA, Wright found that many classmates had similar backgrounds, and it was the small moments with friends where she felt most at home.

¡°There was a space for me that I could explore being Asian in a safer way,¡± Wright said.

Wright soon took Nguyen¡¯s advice and joined the board of APSA as the events coordinator in the spring of 2025, and last fall she took over as vice president. She oversees events, planned this year¡¯s Lunar New Year festivities, and is assisting the Center for Race, Ethnicity, & Diversity Education with its own event planning for API Heritage Month.

The Lunar New Year celebration is one of Wright¡¯s proudest moments. She said she loved the collaboration between her fellow board members and the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life to bring people from across campus together to discover belonging.

Between Two Worlds

As an adoptee who grew up in predominantly white spaces, Wright often felt caught between identities. Her siblings were also adopted from China, and she said her mother encouraged participation in Chinese community events. But often in those events, she felt that she was ¡°not Asian enough¡±.

¡°They could understand their native language. Their parents were from there, and I never felt like I belonged,¡± Wight explained.

For many Chinese adoptees, Wright said, there are a lot of unanswered questions about their origins. Wright felt grateful that her mother was able to bring her and her siblings back to China for many years, showing them where they were from, an experience not all adoptees are able to have.

At the same time, Wright said, it wasn¡¯t until she came to Elon and met other adoptees that she felt seen in a way she hadn¡¯t before. ¡°It was nice to have the same experience of just not belonging anywhere,¡± Wright said, ¡°so we find a place of belonging with each other.¡±

Mentorship

Mentorship is an important element of Wright¡¯s collegiate experience. During her first year, Wright¡¯s SMART mentor, Emily Cashen ¡¯26, walked her through the process of selecting biology classes for the spring semester. Cashen¡¯s guidance inspired Wright to become a SMART mentor herself.

In her constellation of mentors, Wright has also praised George Dou, assistant director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity, & Diversity Education who advises ASPA.

¡°Emily has been a great leader since she has gotten involved with APSA,¡± Dou said. ¡°She’s great at planning ahead, is thoughtful about how she engages with her team and other students and is a pleasure to work with.¡±

While Wright is only in her sophomore year, she has found another mentor in John Moses-Brownson, the associate director of career advising for pre-health professionals, who helps Wright see the ¡°bigger picture¡± of her journey to a career in health care.

¡°When I first met Emily the first week of her time at Elon, I knew that she was going to be a major presence on campus,?and I feel that she has exceeded even my high hopes in just her first two years,¡± Moses-Brownson said. ¡°Emily dreams big,?and her dreams are kind, embracing of everyone, and destined to create ripples of change in her wake.¡±

For Wright, Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is not just about celebration. It¡¯s about recognition. It¡¯s a time where she knows she is Asian enough and no one can tell her otherwise.

What once felt like a disconnect has become a point of connection with others who share similar experiences. Now, as a leader, mentor and future health professional, Wright said she hopes to continue creating spaces where others feel that same sense of belonging.

Elon honors Asian & Pacific Island Heritage Month

As part of Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 51±¬ÁÏÍø is sharing stories through Today at Elon that highlight Asian and Pacific Islander students, faculty and staff who contribute to a campus environment where cultural identities and experiences are celebrated year-round. Throughout the month, Elon is also recognizing API Heritage Month through a series of events and programming.

In second grade, when her class launched into book discussions or lessons turned to math, the words and numbers in front of her stirred panic. So she slipped out of the room each day with an excuse, walked to the restroom ¡ª and cried.

¡°I wouldn¡¯t understand anything that was going on,¡± says McCavanagh, today a sport management major from Massachusetts with aspirations of working for the Boston Celtics. Her teacher took notice, and within a year, doctors identified dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia as obstacles to her learning. Then came the hard part: being singled out, removed from class ¡°in front of all my classmates¡± for instruction, a routine that left her ¡°broken down every day.¡±

Support, however, kept showing up in the form of teachers who made learning feel possible again. A specialized program helped in elementary school. Later, in middle school, one-on-one instruction brought the pieces together, and by high school she had rebuilt her confidence, even as she navigated the depression and anxiety that often accompany dyslexia.

There were early signs that 51±¬ÁÏÍø was the right collegiate community for her. According to McCavanagh, during the application process, it was the only university that replied to questions about support for students like her. Then, on a campus visit, she overheard conversations where students weren¡¯t avoiding eye contact as they talked about their learning differences.

Another sign? During her first semester, McCavanagh¡¯s mother alerted her about the establishment of the Roberts Academy at 51±¬ÁÏÍø, a transitional school for elementary school students with dyslexia set to open in August.

McCavanagh leans into her identity as a learner with dyslexia. It¡¯s no longer a barrier, she¡¯ll tell you. It¡¯s shaped her work ethic and her ability to adapt. She uses her own journey and a sense of humor to connect with others, including her new classmates and close friends at Elon, describing herself as ¡°an empath¡± shaped by years of fighting a feeling of inferiority. ¡°After you go through something and overcome it,¡± she says, ¡°you want to be there for those around you.¡±

News of the Roberts Academy felt like proof that what once isolated her could become a bridge for others through volunteer work with children there. And it brought back the pride McCavanagh felt in delivering remarks to her high school class during a Baccalaureate service on the eve of graduation.

¡°Your struggles don¡¯t make you weaker,¡± she concluded from the auditorium¡¯s lectern. ¡°They make you human. And your differences? That¡¯s where your power lives.¡±

Sylvie McCavanagh is part of Huemanity of People, a series by the Division of Inclusive Excellence highlighting the people, paradigms and praxis of inclusive excellence that shape 51±¬ÁÏÍø¡¯s community. Learn more on the Inclusive Excellence website.

The celebration offers an opportunity for reflection, education and connection, deepening understanding of API communities¡¯ lasting impact, with the Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education (CREDE) leading a variety of programs throughout the month.

Recognizing the diversity within Asian & Pacific Islander communities, this year¡¯s theme, “Distinctly in Bloom: Growing Together”, focuses on highlighting the uniqueness of different Asian, Pacific Islander and South Asian cultures and identities across the diaspora.

¡°Our hope for the theme is that the campus community will understand and get to learn about the full spectrum of APISA cultures and identities,¡± George Dou, assistant director of the CREDE, said. ¡°That means also learning about each culture or people individually as well, which is something we’re hoping to highlight throughout the course of the month.¡±

Throughout April, with events continuing into May, the CREDE will host a variety of events to honor and highlight these communities. Highlights of this year¡¯s events include the annual kickoff celebration, the Asian Film Series and the Kaju & Lina Piano Duo (Voyage of Dance).

For additional questions, please contact Dou at gdou@elon.edu.

Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Events at Elon

Communi-Tea Time

Every Tuesday in April

12:30-1:30 p.m. | CREDE (Moseley 221)

APIHM?Kickoff

Wednesday, April 1

5:30-7 p.m. | Medallion Plaza

The Elon community is invited to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities at our API Heritage Month Kickoff Event! This celebration will feature different foods, cultural performances, local businesses and engaging activities that highlight the contributions and traditions of API communities.

Kaju & Lina Piano Duo (Voyage of Dance)

Wednesday, April 1

7:30 p.m. | Whitley Auditorium

A duet piano recital featuring classical and Korean folk music. Kaju Lee and Lina Yoo Min Lee met while teaching in Wisconsin and have performed together at various institutions and venues, often showcasing both well-known classical pieces and works by contemporary and Korean composers. Their performances frequently feature both solo and duo (4-hands) repertoire. Sponsored by the Department of Music.

Matcha & Sushi Pops

Tuesday, April 7

2-3 p.m. | Outside Lakeside

Spring into History w/ Chinese Club & Arabic Club

Wednesday, April 8

6-8 p.m. | El Centro Kitchen (Carlton 114)

K-DNS: Open Dance Session

Friday, April 10

6-7 p.m. | Koury Dance Studio 5

Holi

Friday, April 10 (Rain dates: April 17 and April 24)

4 p.m. | Phi Beta Kappa Lawn

A Hindu spring festival of color and sharing love, Holi marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. The Elon community gathers at Speaker¡¯s Corner to throw colored powder at one another, celebrating the earth returning to color and life and good triumphing over evil. If you plan to throw color, please wear old clothing that can get dirtied by paint. There will also be crafts, food, and other ways to celebrate the holiday. Sponsored by the Truitt Center for Religious & Spiritual Life.

APISA Community Dinner

Monday, April 13

5:30-7 p.m. | CREDE (Moseley 221)

Rainbow Boba?

Friday, April 17

5:30-6:30 p.m. | CREDE (Moseley 221)

Asian Film Series: The Globalization Tapes

Tuesday, April 21

7 p.m. | Global Media Room 103

A documentary exploring how a community in West Java navigates the forces of globalization, tourism and cultural identity.

Food For Thought: Korea

Wednesday, April 22

6 p.m. | CREDE (Moseley 221)

Donghua Night

Friday, April 24

8-10 p.m. | Alamance 315

A collaboration between the Chinese Club and the Anime & Japanese Studies Club where we will be watching donghuas (¶¯»­), which is the Chinese term for anime.

Exploring Asian America: Workshop

Wednesday, April 29

5:30-7 p.m. | CREDE (Moseley 221)

An interactive workshop where participants will get to learn more about the spectrum of voices and experiences in Asian America.

Asian Film Series: Perfect Days

Tuesday, May 5

7 p.m. | Global Media Room 103

A Tokyo toilet cleaner finds quiet beauty and contentment in his daily routine and unexpected human connections.

Tai Chi with Chinese Club

Wednesday, May 6

5-6 p.m. | Colonnades Quad

LTW: EOY Celebration

Thursday, May 7

6-7:30 p.m. | McKinnon (Moseley 128)

Explore the full schedule of API Heritage Month events on the CREDE website.

The panel was led by Elon faculty members Ifeoma Udeh, Titch?Madzima, Sandra?Darfour-Oduro, Sheila Otieno and Mussa Idris. Each speaker contributed unique perspectives shaped by their research, professional backgrounds, and personal experiences, offering attendees a multifaceted view of contemporary issues affecting African nations. Throughout the event, the panelists addressed a series of thought-provoking questions that guided the discussion. ¡°Which issues in Africa have most influenced your research? allowing each speaker to reflect on the driving forces behind their academic work.

Healthcare,?trade,?culture?and?religion?in African countries?were the major focus of discussion. Panelists?emphasized the importance of?the?African Continental Free Trade?among African countries.?They also?acknowledged?the surge in non-communicable diseases and?discussed?promoting?health education,?investing in?healthcare,?and expanding access to medical?care?in?Africa.

Religion?and culture?were?explored as a powerful social force, particularly in response to the question, ¡°Can religion be leveraged as a tool for social and health promotion in Africa and how?¡± Panelists discussed how religious institutions often serve as trusted community hubs and can play a significant role in?disseminating?information, encouraging positive behavioral changes and fostering social cohesion.

Finally, the discussion concluded on an optimistic note with the question, ¡°What gives you the most hope about Africa¡¯s future?¡± Panelists pointed to many different things that gave them hope, but among them were the continent¡¯s rapidly growing youth population, increasing innovation and expanding?opportunities as key sources of hope. They emphasized the resilience and creativity of African communities, as well as the potential for continued growth and global influence.?The event was moderated by Salome Onikolase?and Mariama Jalloh.

In addition to the academic discussion, attendees were treated to a traditional Ghanaian meal, which added a meaningful cultural dimension to the event. Sharing food created a welcoming atmosphere and allowed participants to experience a tangible aspect of African culture, reinforcing the event¡¯s goal of connection and understanding.?The event was made possible through the support of Associate Provost for Academic Inclusive Excellence Naeemah Clark, Dean of Global Education Nick?Gozick, the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center at Elon, and Beth?DeFord, program assistant.

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• The Month in Photos: January 2026
• The Months in Photos: December 2025
• The Month in Photos: November 2025

February brought a mix of wintry charm and early hints of spring to campus, as the Elon community embraced a month filled with meaningful moments.

From engaging lectures and cultural celebrations to everyday scenes of connection, these photos capture the energy and spirit that defined February at Elon. Take a look back at some of the snapshots that tell the story of the month on campus, through the eyes of staff in the Office of University Communications.

Springing into the semester

The Spring Organization Fair brings together organizations for students across campus to encourage involvement and get the semester started.

Space for studying

Elon offers a variety of spaces away from the classroom to study, including the Inman Reading Room in Lindner Hall.

A Survivor’s story

Alexander Silbiger was a young child when Nazi Germany invaded and occupied his home in the Netherlands. On Feb. 12, Silbiger told the story of his family’s escape from the country in 51±¬ÁÏÍø’s Holocaust Remembrance Day speaker event.

Black History Month

In February, Elon recognized Black History Month through a series of events and programming, including the Tiny Shelf Concert.

La Vie Boheme

The Department of Performing Arts performed “RENT” in McCrary Theatre from Feb. 13-15. tells the story of a group of New York City friends dealing with life and loss amid the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Mardi Gras!

The 51±¬ÁÏÍø community came together for its annual Mardi Gras celebration on Feb. 17, 2026, with festive food and fun.

Royal¡¯s office is warm and welcoming and offers a window into her past, present and future. Her space honors the values she carries and the people and milestones that have shaped her journey.

Royal serves as Elon¡¯s associate director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity, & Diversity Education, where she brings faculty, staff and students of all backgrounds together through workshop facilitation and mentorship.

After graduating from Elon in 2017 with a psychology degree, Royal taught fourth and fifth grade at a charter school in Washington, D.C., where she discovered her favorite part of teaching was building trust with students and their families and supporting their academic, social and emotional growth. In 2021, she returned to Alamance County and reconnected with Elon staff she had worked with as a student.

As an undergraduate, Royal worked four years with the dean of students and three years with CREDE, sung in the Elon Gospel Choir and served as an executive intern in admissions. She proudly displays her Elon graduation cap framed in her office next to one she wore from her master¡¯s graduation at George Washington University.

These experiences, along with others in childhood, shaped Royal¡¯s understanding of self and built her confidence. At age nine, she became the youngest person in North Carolina to earn a black belt in karate and later won national championships in sparring. Royal¡¯s mother enrolled her in the sport when she was only four years old and it proved to be an outlet for her to develop and grow when her mother tragically passed when Royal was only five.

Royal¡¯s formative years instilled in her a dynamic understanding of relationships, families and identity, all of which she leverages in her work today.

Royal offers members of Elon¡¯s community workshops, mentorships and events that help others grow their self-confidence and understand their values. She offers a variety of workshops to help students, faculty and staff identify and understand the core and unique identities each participant holds.

¡°Participants are offered an hour in their day to think about who they are and how they show up in spaces,¡± she said. ¡°These moments are hard to come by and are so rewarding.¡±

Royal is also a passionate mentor and a champion of student success, as evidenced by her collection of photos in her office.

One student she is currently working with is Madison McCrainey ¡¯26, a cinema and television arts major.

¡°Throughout every interaction, Simone has been someone who has encouraged me to be more involved within the Black community and pushed for me to become more confident,¡± McCrainey said.

Royal said that many of her connections with students have extended past their graduation. ¡°I love continuing relationships with students from undergrad to postgrad. I think it shows how strong the relationships are and how mentorship can be carried over through the years.¡±

Blake Mobley ¡¯27, a sports management major, is appreciative that Royal is someone he can confide in and who can keep him grounded. Royal is someone he could look up to as a professor in the 1010 class, an Elon alumna and a former member of Greek life.

¡°Simone has helped and guided me and was one of the first people to really listen to how I was feeling and what I had to say,¡± he said. ¡°She will never truly know the positive impact that she has had on my college experience and on my life.¡±

Royal says that people are more similar than different and that it is her mission to open the door for everyone to feel comfortable sharing their heritage, culture and personal self.

¡°We all are here to help each other in some way or format,¡± she said. ¡°I want to contribute to making the world a greater place to live in.¡±

Black History Month

As part of Black History Month, 51±¬ÁÏÍø is sharing stories through Today at Elon that highlight Black students, faculty and staff who actively contribute to a campus environment where cultural histories and identities are celebrated year-round. In February, Elon is also recognizing the month through a series of events and programming.