Xavier University of Louisiana: A Journey Back

We were on the long stretch home from our summer road trip — fresh off a cruise, RV loaded, everyone just ready to see their own beds—when I decided we had to make one more stop:  my alma mater, Xavier University of Louisiana.

It wasn’t just a random detour.  The opportunity presented itself, and I wanted my kids to see where so much of my young adulthood took shape.  The place where I spent seven years (1999-2006) growing into myself, earning my Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and living out the daily experience of an HBCU—something I didn’t fully grasp at the time, but whose influence has been undeniable ever since.

Then and Now

The first thing that hit me was how much had changed.  The campus had grown:  a new statue of Dr. Norman C. Francis, a gleaming pharmacy building, the student center looking fresh and modern.  My old dorm, St. Joseph’s, wasn’t a dorm at all anymore—now a resource center.  The cafeteria?  It’s now the chapel.  And standing there, I realized how long it had been since I last set foot on these grounds.  How time had moved both forward and away from me.

Flashbacks in Every Corner

The memories came rushing in.  Like the “den mom” in the dorm who would call out, loud enough up and down the halls of all three floors: “There’s a man on the floor!” every time a male guest/worker stepped inside.  Or the route I used to take to the science building.  The same one I walked with my dress tucked into my panties one day — completely unaware until a kind sister (a fellow student) quietly saved me from further embarrassment under the Tree of Knowledge.

I thought about Snappy, the food truck, that parked near the same spot where we pulled up in the RV. His baked potatoes and lemonade were legendary.  And I remembered the first time I walked into the cafeteria (now the chapel), feeling lost until two heavily accented New Orleans guys waved me over.  When I told them I was from Dallas, they immediately asked if I lived on a farm, had cows, and rode a horse to school.

Walking with My Kids

Even though my son was dealing with a migraine that day, he was determined to walk the campus.  He couldn’t believe my school was in another state from Mimi’s house.  He especially loved the old chapel/administration building, now filled with sculptures and artwork.  My daughter in awe of it all, asking “where did Uncle Shaad live while you were in school?”

We didn’t visit Xavier South this time.  Between the road miles and the summer heat, I knew this couldn’t be my last trip back.  I want to return when I can take it all in, without feeling the pull of the road and home.

What Xavier Gave Me

Back then, I didn’t fully understand the effect Xavier University of Louisiana would have on me.  I knew I was surrounded by Black excellence—professors, classmates, leadership—but I didn’t know how deeply that would influence the way I saw myself, my people, and the world.

It was a small campus, the kind that made leaving home for the first time less overwhelming.  It was also where I learned persistence, discipline, and the value of relationships.  Though I’m no longer practicing pharmacy (my license is still active), the degree I earned here is one of my proudest accomplishments.  It was the path I needed to become the woman I am.

For My Kids and Their Paths

These days, my kids are asking more about college.  I welcome their curiosity, but I don’t demand it as their path.  I tell them to have a goal.  If college is part of reaching it, wonderful.  If not, that’s okay too.  My journey took me through Xavier University of Louisiana because my goal was to become a doctor—and I have no regrets.

The Journey Matters

Time away, and the changes on campus, made me feel both connected and strangely insignificant.  A reminder that places evolve, and so do we.  Every step of our journey, from RV rides to pharmacy school hallways, matters.  And sometimes, returning to where you started is the best way to see how far you’ve come.

BTW: “We’ve got to have people who believe that education belongs to everybody” -Dr. Norman C. Francis

What’s one defining place from your past that shaped who you are today?  I’d love to hear your stories below.

P.S. This Thursday, August 21, I’m sharing Balcony Reflections—a moment of gratitude from the cruise that brought us here.  And on Thursday, August 28, my full Xavier campus tour video premieres on Youtube.  Come see the campus through my eyes, past and present.

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