Some ISU students are paving a road to success by being recognized for their attention to leadership and diversity.

The Black Student Alliance has recently been honored with several awards, including the Best Black Student Government.

P’Angela Haynes, secretary of BSA, said the awards were received at the 23rd Annual Big 12 Conference on Black Student Governments at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla.

“Students applied for the awards by submitting an essay on the theme, ‘Stepping Into the Millennium with Our Heads Held High,'” said Haynes, freshman in journalism and mass communication. “Applicants were asked to reflect on the theme and their accomplishments and involvement throughout their college career.”

Maria Miller, senior in journalism and mass communication, received the Outstanding Senior Award for her efforts as an active member in the sorority Pi Beta Phi, 208 Ash Ave., and for her volunteer work in BSA.

“I’ve been an active member of the Panhellenic Council, which is traditionally a white organization, and I am the only black executive member on the council as director of public relations,” Miller said. “Through that, one of my major accomplishments has been integrating black and white greeks, who had not been in contact with each other for a long time.”

Miller said she was concerned that greek organizations have tended to be racist, and she said it’s time to stop the discrimination and start working to bring people together.

“I’ve learned that we still have a lot of issues to work through in the black community, and we still have a long way to go as far as being equal,” Miller said. “But through my involvement at Iowa State, BSA has really opened my eyes to racial issues and integration, which has added a new dimension in my life.”

Despite her contributions, she said receiving the award was unexpected.

“I’ve always done things the nontraditional way, and I would have expected someone from a black greek house to win,” Miller said. “But it was really a surprise to receive the award.”

The Outstanding Sophomore Award went to Robert Price, sophomore in management information systems, for his efforts in volunteer work and tutoring students in statistics and computer science.

Price, who said the award also came as a surprise, said he enjoyed the BSA conference.

“There were a variety of speakers and workshops that focused on black greek life,” Price said. “It encouraged members to get more involved and talk about issues on campus, and they talked about how to strengthen leadership, diversity and interaction in the community.”

Iowa State also received Best Black Student Government Award. The Black Student Government, which gave the awards, has a six-member executive council. Three of the executives are from Iowa State.

Miller said the award was well-deserved since BSA has served as an umbrella for all greek, minority and several other organizations in helping increase education.

“BSA has been exceptional in not only doing this but providing a variety of different programs, speakers and support in the black community,” Miller said.