Mia Davis walked into the position of director of Black Student Services with a clear goal in mind and initiatives she wanted to create and develop. Having served five months so far, it is already clear that the ideas she has brought forth are going to impact the community’s future for the better. I was given the chance to sit down with her and gain a firsthand perspective on who she is, through fits of sweet laughter and a deep dive into her vision of how she wants to utilize her time at LMU in support of students.
Davis grew up in the Inglewood/Westchester area and attended Westchester High School, so she has always been aware of LMU. After high school, she had dreams of being an actress, but she put that plan aside when she welcomed a beautiful baby boy into her life. She went straight into the workforce, taking on several different roles, one of which inspired her to enroll in community college. Previously, the idea of college was a goal that felt distant after she received discouraging advice from a college counselor regarding her chances of success. So, as a first-generation college student, this was an entirely new world, but a world she was more than willing to brave to create better outcomes for the people she was working so hard for.
With sheer dedication and a strong community of loved ones supporting her, Davis started taking community college classes where a Spanish teacher and a program that supported Black students forever changed her trajectory. It was there that her teacher questioned why she wasn’t in college, given her intelligence and motivation, and it was there that she met the person who ran a program to promote Black student success that ignited Davis’ aspiration to run a space that supports black students. She spent the next 10 years in higher education at community colleges and nonprofits and earned a master’s degree in education counseling at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Through various roles working with students and administration, she was able to clearly identify student needs and develop her approach to meeting them.
Davis offered that she wants her presence on campus to be “like a warm hug” for students. She wants the entire community to learn that “there is a space, where individuals are seen, heard, and loved, I see my position as service to our community. What the students need, if they need advocacy, a space for joy, or to unwind, I am here to create that for them.”
Since arriving at LMU, Davis has developed programming, meets regularly with students, and is forging collaborative relationships across campus. She looks forward to further developing opportunities to partner with the schools and communities surrounding LMU. She aims to create a mentorship program between LMU faculty, students, staff, alumni and students from local high schools.
Davis shared a quote that has served as longstanding inspiration for her: “You must do what others won’t do today, so you can do what others can do tomorrow.”
In her free time, you can find Davis enjoying jigsaw puzzles or reading up on random knowledge/facts. She welcomes visitors and wants the LMU community to know that her door in Malone 201 is always open.
