Central State Royal Court Makes History at National HBCU Kings & Queens Conference

As Central State University prepares to crown its next Mister and Miss Central State during this year’s Homecoming celebration, we’re taking a look at how the incoming Royal Court spent the summer — and how those experiences are shaping the legacy they hope to build during their reign.

Mister Central State Nasaan Jackson and Miss Central State Asia Brown returned to Central State University with a collection of honors and a renewed sense of purpose after representing the university at the 24th Annual HBCU Kings & Queens Conference, held July 16-19 in New Orleans.

The four-day conference brought together more than 400 student leaders representing 57 historically Black colleges and universities from across the United States for leadership development, networking, professional growth and celebration.

For Central State, the trip marked a milestone. Jackson and Brown became the first Central State Royal Court to earn awards at the conference, receiving the Perseverance Award, Best King Photo Award and the King’s Suite Dreams Crown. They also placed third in the Suite Dreams fundraiser and received nominations for Most Impressive Onsite Intro and Best Advisor of the Year, recognizing their adviser, Talisa Boswell, director of Marauder Leadership and Engagement.

For Jackson and Brown, the accomplishments were not simply about competition. They represented perseverance, service and the legacy they hope to leave at Central State.

A four-time king represents Central State

Jackson’s journey to becoming the 19th Mister Central State-elect is one of the most distinctive in the university’s Royal Court history.

He has successfully campaigned for and won all four positions he has pursued — Mister Freshman, Mister Sophomore, Mister Junior and, now, Mister Central State. Only two other former Mister Central State titleholders, Keith Harris and Stephon Thomas, have achieved the same distinction.

Jackson said being repeatedly selected by his peers has challenged him to grow with the university and become a stronger student leader with each successive role.

“This is my fourth time right now, so over the years, I had to continue to grow and just be a better, not only king, but student leader,” Jackson said. “For them to choose me every single time, it really means something to me that they trust in me as a leader.”

That experience also shaped the way Jackson approached the national conference. Rather than viewing the crown as a symbol of status, he described it as a responsibility to serve.

“The crown is honestly just the spotlight,” Jackson said. “Everything who I am is just going to be amplified because I have this specific position.”

Jackson said his responsibility is ultimately to the student body and the institution he represents.

“I’m a servant,” he said. “I serve my student class, my student body, the president, the university. At the end of the day, I’m doing everything to make this university better.”

From Miss Freshman to Miss Central State

Brown also brought a history of student leadership to the conference. Before becoming the 79th Miss Central State, she served as Miss Freshman and as a student trustee, giving her experience representing students and participating in university leadership at a broader institutional level.

For Brown, returning to the Royal Court after previously serving in a royal role was an opportunity to build on that experience while continuing a leadership journey that began when she first arrived at Central State.

“When I first came onto campus as a freshman, I didn't realize how much God truly had prepared for me — the rooms, the tables,” Brown said. “So just trusting Him along the way, although it was very scary at times, being called to something that seems so big, but just having that strength to go ahead and move forward and see the results is honestly a blessing to my community, to Central State University.”

Brown said her election represents more than personal accomplishment.

“This crown isn't just for me,” she said. “It's for everybody here on this campus.”

Her approach to leadership is rooted in service, character and compassion.

“The role doesn't make you; you make the role,” Brown said. “This crown is not who I am. It is a part of my armor. It is a part of the type of leader that I am. It is an accessory, but it is not the definition of what it means to be a true queen.”

Perseverance beyond the crown

The Perseverance Award carried particular significance because of the lengths Jackson and Brown went to in order to make the trip possible.

Rather than allowing financial obstacles to prevent Central State from being represented, Jackson and Brown took responsibility for raising the money needed to attend.

The students raised nearly $5,000 in about three weeks. Jackson also secured support from Guardian Savings Bank, where he worked during the summer, which matched the funds raised. Central State contributed $1,000, while faculty, staff and other supporters also stepped forward to help.

Brown said the support they received from the Central State community demonstrated the strength of the university family.

“We were able to achieve this goal with the help of God first and foremost, our university, our family, our friends, the conference leaders, the conference founders, our advisor, on top of that, the faculty and staff here at Central State University,” Brown said.

She said some faculty and staff members went beyond institutional support and contributed from their own resources.

“I've not heard of any other school that you can reach out to your professors, to the deans of your colleges, and ask them, ‘Hey, I need help financially here,’ and they give you, from their own pockets, from checks they get from Central State, writing the money to you so you can be successful,” Brown said. “That means everything.”

The conference’s Perseverance Award recognized the determination the students demonstrated throughout the process. Brown said the award ultimately belonged to more than just the two students who traveled to New Orleans.

“These awards mean more than just being the first to do it,” she said. “It's about the legacy.”

A former Marauder helps capture a winning moment

Image

The success of Central State’s Royal Court in New Orleans was also supported by former Marauder Ian McLean, who traveled from Detroit to document Jackson and Brown’s experience at the conference.

McLean, who attended Central State from 2023 to 2025, volunteered his photography and videography services to the Royal Court, helping the students capture the moments that would ultimately tell the story of their historic appearance.

For Jackson, McLean’s contribution proved especially significant when one of the photographs he captured earned the Best King Photo Award at the conference.

“We would have had none of those photos if it wasn't for Shot by Ian,” Jackson said. “Ian came from Detroit, Michigan, flew down to New Orleans and made sure we were straight. He took all of our pictures and videos.”

The award-winning photograph was not the result of an elaborate production. Jackson said McLean was simply experimenting with his camera when he captured the image. After Jackson posted the photograph to social media, the HBCU Kings & Queens Conference reposted it. He later learned the photograph had been selected as the Best King Photo.

McLean’s connection to the Royal Court extended beyond photography. Jackson and Brown had known him since their freshman year at Central State and reached out to him when they needed someone they could trust to help document their experience.

“Ian is an amazing person all around,” Jackson said. “His work is amazing. He's an outstanding photographer. He's an outstanding businessman as a whole.”

For Brown and Jackson, McLean’s willingness to make the trip was another example of the Central State family coming together to support their efforts.

Central State earns visibility among HBCUs

For Royal Court adviser Talisa Boswell, Central State’s participation in the conference represents an investment in student leadership and the university’s national visibility.

The HBCU Kings & Queens Conference has been held for more than 20 years and was created to provide HBCU royalty with leadership development, mentorship, professional development and networking opportunities. The 2026 conference featured more than 30 leadership workshops and brought together representatives from HBCUs across the country.

This year’s conference marked Central State’s third time participating.

Boswell said the university’s continued presence has helped introduce Central State to students and leaders who previously knew little about Ohio’s only public HBCU.

“When we first got to Kings and Queens back in 2023, no one knew what Central State was, or where it was,” Boswell said. “But as we came, we made a name for ourselves. Now people look for us at this conference.”

That visibility has become particularly valuable as Central State works to recruit students and expand awareness of the university beyond Ohio. The university’s participation also generates significant engagement within the broader HBCU community.

Boswell said Central State’s conference-related social media posts have frequently received substantial attention, creating another avenue for prospective students to encounter the university.

“There's a lot of hard work and effort that people don't realize goes into preparing for a conference like this, to put your best foot forward and really show what Central State is about and that we can compete with all the rest of the HBCUs,” Boswell said.

Leaving a legacy

Image

The students have embraced the name Legacy Court as a reflection of what they hope their reign represents. Jackson said he wants students, faculty and staff to feel a stronger sense of belonging and pride in Central State.

“I want people to look back and be like, ‘He gave me a reason to love Central even more,’” Jackson said.

For Brown, legacy is rooted in love and service.

“With my platform being a legacy of love, my answer is love,” Brown said. “To be an embodiment of love.”

She said her goal is to create a lasting impact through the way she treats and supports others.

“Love will be my impact,” Brown said. “Not only my impact on the student body, on faculty and staff, but even on my court and just pouring love into them as they can pour it out to others. It's a domino effect.”

For Central State’s Royal Court, the honors earned in New Orleans represent more than a first for the university. They are evidence of what can happen when student leaders embrace their responsibility, their community invests in them and perseverance carries them through the obstacles in their path.

As Brown put it, the accomplishment is bigger than the crown.

“Don't be scared to be the first,” she said. “You're changing the trajectory of everybody that's going to come after you.”