Alton Harris has a big dream, and it started when his teachers encouraged him to do something that fed his love of helping people. A 2022 graduate of Southern University at New Orleans, Harris was drawn to the University after taking a campus tour. Feeling SUNO’s signature supportive environment, he knew that he was in the right place. His journey with the Honoré Center for Undergraduate Student Achievement, however, whet his appetite to lead.
Harris toured SUNO while he was a junior at Helix Mentorship STEM Academy in Baton Rouge. Upon getting admitted, Harris entered the Honoré Center program where he met and immediately developed a relationship with Dr. Morkeith Phillips, the director. That relationship, along with the Center’s unique offerings, made a lasting impression.
Harris took a particular liking to Manhood Monday, a weekly gathering where students engage in meaningful conversations focused on the Center’s core values: Ethics, Persistence, Punctuality, Self-awareness, and Servant Leadership. The discussions, especially those concerning personal image and professionalism, resonated deeply with him. Harris fell in love with wearing suits and embraced the adage, “If you dress good, you look good. If you look good, you feel good.”
For Harris, wearing suits countered a harmful stereotype that too many people see Black men in suits either when they’re the center of negative attention in a courtroom or if they’re in a casket at a funeral. Simply wearing suits encouraged a professional mindset. That’s what prepared Harris well for his current role as a seventh grade ELA teacher at KIPP Leadership Academy in New Orleans.
That feeling of significance also translates to the path that Harris has set for himself as a leader in education. He is looking forward to the day that he will open a school. “I want to focus on students with special needs,” he said. “They don’t have enough advocacy.” Harris also wants to expand the science and social studies offerings throughout New Orleans and Baton Rouge while also adding the pursuit of a master’s in educational leadership to his plate.
Beyond the professional training, the Honoré program gave Harris a feeling of brotherhood. He found a sense of belonging and mentorship that made him feel as if he was part of a fraternity. That feeling of being part of something bigger than himself affirmed the program’s value for Harris.
As for high school students and current Honoré students, Harris views the Center not just as an educational program for them but as a legacy builder. Citing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Harris emphasizes that the ultimate goal for any student is self-actualization; but students must have a sense of purpose.
“Understand your ‘why’ in the world” is a piece of advice that he wants to share with these students. For Harris, the Honoré Center played a vital role in realizing his “why” and the leader he wants to be.