PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 13, 2022) – There’s not much senior chemical engineering student Taylon Owens can’t do.
Of course, if you ask him, his modesty shines through. He credits his soon-to-be alma mater Prairie View A&M University with providing support and a launching place for what’s sure to be a stellar career for a student who is passionate about everything from social justice to engineering.
Owens will head to the University of Oxford this fall to continue his graduate studies as the recipient of the prestigious Barry Scholarship, an academic prize “awarded for dedication to the academic vocation and the pursuit of truth.” It’s fitting for Owens, a self-proclaimed seeker of truth.
He found a passion for social justice while at PVAMU, which led him to help coordinate the university’s first TEDx series, boosting the university as only the second school in the A&M system to host a TEDx and only the fourth HBCU to do so. His second TEDx event was held this spring.
Turning Actions into Reality
Owens has also found ways to align his passions with action and encourages others to speak up and use their voice. His most recent accomplishment was participating in and winning the university’s 8th Annual Essay/Oratory Contest.
His topic, centered on Frantz Fanon’s “Black Skin, White Masks,” encouraged Black people and all marginalized communities to “take off the masks we wear to fit into false societal constructs,” said Owens. To achieve true social justice, he said we have to embrace “who we are and live in our true power.”
“The purpose of TEDxPVAMU directly aligns with what I wrote and spoke about for the oratory competition,” Owens said. “The message is more important than the achievements for me, so I hope that I have been able to help somebody realize that they can achieve their wildest dreams.”
His oratory performance also referenced mostly unknown writers and authors, including Ta-Nehisi Coates and Paul Laurence Dunbar.
“I chose this topic because it is important that we deconstruct the false images and representation of Black people,” Owens said. “I made sure to reference writers not typically discussed in a school curriculum—Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou and Fredrick Douglas. Not saying they haven’t had a profound impact on literature, but there are so many more individuals who deserve to be studied too.”
Justice for All
Owens pointed to trusted mentors and advisers, including Fredrick Roberts, Herbert Thomas, Quincy Moore and Chelsee Young in the Honors Program, with helping him clarify the paths that led to his success. He also emphasized that the university is committed to atmospheres and academic ventures that push students towards excellence, including areas concerning social justice.
The 2021 launch of the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice is just one example. But, events like the oratory contest also serve as a megaphone and platform for students to strengthen their voice and be the change they want to see in the world.
“This event was a chance to expand their understanding of social justice while also giving them the platform to be heard over something they are passionate about,” Owens said. The event was also a learning opportunity–students at PVAMU never stop learning.
For now, though, Owens is just taking it day by day. With graduation just a few days away, he’s leaning on the support of his mom and late grandmother, whom he said: “encourage me to let my light shine while also remembering to give back along the way.”
What’s next? As Owens heads to Oxford and hopes to enter the workforce in the oil and gas industry, the world is his stage. Most of all, he plans to use the valuable skills he learned at PVAMU that will aid him in whatever he decides to do.
“I would like to use the tools I’ve gained to address the environmental injustices that come with the industry,” Owens said. “I do not know exactly what I want to do, but I look forward to integrating my chemical engineering background with my passion for social justice.”
Click here to view a complete listing of this semester’s notable graduates.
By Meredith Mohr
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