Meet Alumni Association President LaTanya Sothern
For National Principals Month, nearly 400 elementary and middle-school students pay LaTanya Sothern, SOC-CAS/BA 鈥92, a visit. Some file听into her office one by one, handing her roses. Others gift听her a handmade flower crown, one she sports proudly from behind her desk in Prince George鈥檚 County, Maryland.
鈥淪tudents are my heart,鈥 Sothern says鈥攁nd it shows. A quick glance at her CV makes her deep commitment to learners plain. An educator for more than 25 years, Sothern is an expert in instructional leadership. She describes herself as an administrator who is 鈥渞eally a teacher at heart.鈥 And as the new president of 91制片厂鈥檚 Alumni Association, she will leverage her experience in education to serve students and the university she loves.
The recipient of numerous awards and degrees, Sothern champions educational opportunity for students of all backgrounds. She holds a BA in communications and economics from AU, an MAT in early childhood education from Howard University, and a certification in educational administration and supervision from Bowie State University. Presently, she鈥檚 pursuing her EdD in school systems leadership from the University of Maryland, which she anticipates completing this year.
It鈥檚 clear Sothern considers learning a lifelong endeavor. 鈥淸I鈥檓 a] student [who] can鈥檛 stay out of school,鈥 she says. And now that she knows 鈥渋t鈥檚 policies that really make or break a school system,鈥 she wonders, Is law school next? Sothern is the author of two books, lauded by the likes of the NAACP鈥攚orks that fuse her identities as a communicator and advocate.
A self-described 鈥渇amily-oriented鈥 person, she lives with her husband, Greg, and two sons in the same county where she teaches. She and Greg host parents of special needs children in their home for workshops and date nights, assembling local support networks. She strives 鈥渢o create familial relationships in whatever spaces [she occupies]鈥濃攊ncluding in AU volunteer contexts.
Finding a second home in her own city
鈥淚 kind of 鈥榖ack ended鈥 into AU,鈥 Sothern says, recalling her Tenleytown origin story. 鈥淏ut it really impacted and changed my life in so many...beautiful ways.鈥 A native Washingtonian and 鈥渆ast-of-the-river baby,鈥 Sothern hadn鈥檛 heard of the university鈥攅ven after meeting with a journalism mentor 鈥渞ight down the street鈥 at a television news station during high school鈥攗ntil recruiter Marquita Lightfoot from the Office of Minority Affairs visited her school.
Her sights set on a communications major, Sothern felt magnetized by Syracuse University. But her mom encouraged her to apply to AU. Sothern earned acceptances from all three places she applied to, including Dartmouth, but the valedictorian settled on AU after receiving its prestigious Frederick Douglass Scholarship. A second scholarship, funded by an alum, bolstered her decision to attend.
At school, connections clicked. Sothern joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the AU Gospel Choir, and the Black Student Alliance, cultivating a friend group she fondly recalls as 鈥渁 big, happy, mixy, blendy family.鈥
The multifaceted nature of AU鈥檚 community makes the school feel special to Sothern. 鈥91制片厂 is just so diverse and so singular at the same time,鈥 she says. Even as someone who has enrolled in four separate universities, she says, 鈥淚鈥檝e not experienced anything like that.鈥 Forging connections with students from a wide range of backgrounds proved transformative for her, and it鈥檚 something she says she needed growing up in Chocolate City in the 1970s and 鈥80s.听
Devoting time, talent, and treasure for students鈥 sake
After plunging her full self into her career and family, Sothern found herself wanting to give back to the AU community that had helped her grow. When her sorority鈥檚 undergraduate members organized an event commemorating its charter鈥檚 anniversary, Sothern was invited to participate. Later, she spoke at an on-campus career networking event they sponsored. There, she convened with former peers and 鈥渇ell in love with being connected with students on this other level.鈥
Further engagement followed, advancing toward Sothern鈥檚 election to the Alumni Association鈥檚 Executive Board. Outgoing president Jonathan Mathis told her, 鈥淚 really need your energy and your commitment.鈥 Fast-forward to 2023, and her dedication would lead her to the presidency.
Sothern鈥檚 path toward reconnecting with AU brought her joy and new connections. It鈥檚 no surprise, then, that she encourages all alumni to get involved. 鈥淭hink about the faces of the people who are a part of the community,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hink about when your face was a part of [it]!鈥 She acknowledges how AU鈥檚 doors were opened to her by a supporter who 鈥渒new that [students like her] had something to offer.鈥
And as advancing educational opportunity is concerned, it鈥檚 鈥渘ot about the 鈥榟ow much鈥欌 donations total up to, Sothern says. It all comes back to the action鈥攖o 鈥渉elp[ing] build鈥 the university鈥檚 campaign. Sothern鈥檚 own giving has spanned multiple areas of the university, including the School of Education, the Frederick Douglass Program, and the AU gospel choir.
Keeping pace in the push toward change
What are Sothern鈥檚 intentions for her time as board president? She 鈥渉ope[s] that this will be an opportunity...to serve鈥 the student body, the school at large, and President Burwell鈥攐f whom she鈥檚 a big fan. Sothern wants to build off Dr. Mathis鈥檚 legacy, as well, further emphasizing the power of communal resources.
When it comes to creating change, 鈥淲e are [already] doing it!鈥 Sothern says. AU alumni are active 鈥渁cross the globe, impacting the populace in so many different, amazing, ...and innovative ways.鈥 So, they deserve a leadership board that clearly articulates its vision and role in university life. She wants to ensure the board has 鈥渁 compass鈥 to help guide its path forward. 鈥淚 love the university,鈥 Sothern says鈥攁lthough she doesn鈥檛 need to speak it. Her devotion shines from her face.