Field Notes APSS - 2018-19

Alumni Profiles: Lakayana Drury ‘12 L akayana Drury , one of our first Applied Social Science pro- gram graduates, is changing the world. From the beginning it was clear that he set out to make a difference, and it’s hard to imagine anyone taking in more of the world in such a short time, or being more driven to make it a better place.

His path to his current role as an educator, youth advocate, and so- cial activist could be seen during his time at Stout. Lakayana served as president of the Black Student Union, a senator in the Stout Stu- dent Association, and was an active voice on campus organizing marches, protests, and voting campaigns during a period of severe budget cuts and turmoil. The summer before his senior year, his internship was with Unite Here, a union organization supporting workers’ rights in the service industry. These experiences culminated in his capstone project, published in the Journal of Student Research, which was titled, “Breaking the Chains: Student Organizations and Social Integration as a Means to the Development and Academic Emancipation of African Ameri- can Students.” Lakayana’s passport has filled itself up over the years as he has sought out adventure and understanding. After graduating, he taught in Beijing, China and in Philadelphia, PA before accepting a teaching position at Rosemary Anderson High School in Portland, OR in the Spring of 2016. In 2017, he helped found Word is Bond, a non-profit organization dedicated to building positive relation- ships between young black men and law enforcement. He current- ly serves as the Executive Director for the organization. In the classroom, Lakayana focuses on differentiated instruction and exploring underrepresented cultures and histories across the world. In the broader community, he has been involved in a num- ber of social organizations and efforts aimed at uniting communi- ties across Portland and improving social mobility for all. In the Fall of 2019, Mayor Ted Wheeler appointed Lakayana to the new- ly formed Portland Committee on Community Engaged Policing (PCCEP) where he currently serves as co-chair.

Weaving in Guatemala

Chengdu, China

Executive Director, Word Is Bond

Shanghai, China

UW-Stout Menomonie, WI

Portland, Oregon

Cape Town, South Africa

Monrovia, Liberia

Tikal Temple, Guatemala

Yangshuo, China

Wounded Knee, Pine Ridge

19 - FIELD NOTES

Applied Social Science Program - 20