Alpha Kappa Alpha is not just a sorority or sisterhood. It is a family of women who uplift, inspire and empower.
Senior Kiana Wright won UCA Homecoming Queen on Oct. 26, but she said she did not do it alone. A team of strong, independent women stood behind her. To Wright, her sisters deserve just as much of a spotlight.
Wright also has family members who are AKA women.
She said, “Seeing how they carried themselves on campus with such class — it definitely made me want to be an Alpha Kappa Alpha woman.”
AKA is known for its support of the Conway and Little Rock communities. Wright and her sisters advocate for upliftment in their community by helping local churches and providing donations.
Wright said, “Just doing something for someone else” is the goal for AKA.
Strolling and stepping is a tradition passed down from generations of AKAs.
“Stepping is continuing a legacy from our sisters before us,” Wright said. “Representing our organization and putting our best out there to keep the sorority name alive, and to show students that at the end of the day, it’s all about having fun.”
Wright said participating in the step show allowed AKA to represent Wright and her running for homecoming queen while also keeping the honorable tradition alive.
Wright said she initially ran for homecoming queen to have fun and represent her sorority. However, just a week before she made her decision to follow through with the campaign, her father passed away.
“I had told him about it, and he supported me,” she said. “But I wanted to execute the plan and continue being the strong woman he raised me to be.”
With her sisters behind her rallying together in a time of need, and the inspiration of her father, she continued her campaign and now represents UCA as the 2024 homecoming queen.
Wright said her campaigning process made her feel an overwhelming sense of support from the community and university.
“I talked and connected with so many different people. I think that was what made my campaign more personal,” she said. “I was able to network and speak to different organizations and different parts of the university.”
Wright felt that being elected homecoming queen was one of the proudest moments in her college career, but she gives her proudest moment over to her experience being the president of Women of Excellence.
“Pulling in the ladies of UCA and letting them know that they are loved gave me the platform to be the woman I am today,” she said.
During her presidency, Wright has been able to connect with advisers on campus, spreading the message of female empowerment and support beyond her sisterhood.
She said she wants to leave behind a legacy with AKA.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without my sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha,” she said. “AKA has molded me into the woman I am — the woman of class and grace.”
