PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Graduating Prairie View A&M University senior Marie Christi Boyd, who goes by her middle name, has two passions in life: politics and poetry.
Poetry “softens” the harsh realities of politics, says the 25-year-old from Lake Charles, Louisiana, who graduates this December with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Boyd, who transferred to PVAMU from Lone Star College-North Harris last year, also has an associate’s degree in psychology.
A PVAMU legacy, she followed in the footsteps of her mom and her three cousins to discover herself and “the greatest HBCU in Texas.”
A Love of Political Science
Boyd uses her passion for poetry to express her love of political science. “The reason I choose political science is because I love the study of people and how they interact with politics,” she said. Through her major, she hopes to help increase access and equity for people in marginalized communities.
True to her love, Boyd shared one thing about political science that most may not know. “Believe it or not, there is actually math and science in my major. We have formulas to remember and recite.” It is more than just politics or government: “We study all of society, and it gets complex,” she said. “We study voting trends, we analyze data, and we make graphs and tables. Essentially, we try to predict the future. It is much more than just voting.”
Boyd credits her success at PVAMU to professors who have inspired her to even rap about political science. “My professors really had my back while I studied here,” she said. “I became a stronger writer, my citations improved, I am able to analyze data and build graphs better, and I am a better political scientist because of them.” They fostered a learning environment that was inviting and empowering, Boyd said, adding, “It is important for professors to build up the students and allow them to share their ideas and speak their mind. I was able to create songs, raps, spoken words and poster boards to showcase the love I have for political science.”
A Foundation for Success
In addition to the stellar professors, PVAMU laid a foundation for success. While at the University, Boyd was a part of several organizations and honor societies, including the National Society of Leadership and Success, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and National Political Science Honor Society: Phi Sigma Alpha. “Being a member of these honor societies really shows me that I’m good at what I do,” Boyd said. “I look at my CV, and I get proud of myself all over again.”
She was also the 2021-2022 president of the Political Science Club. “I was able to collaborate with different club presidents and faculty to bring awareness to my major,” she said. “It’s important for all majors to have a club on campus. A club provides a central meeting place to foster ideas and innovation.”
One of her proudest moments at PVAMU was when she organized a peaceful protest addressing food insecurity on campus. “My greatest achievement was showing students that they have power,” she said. “When we all come together, we can do much more and actually fix things that are broken. I actively demonstrated that if you see something that needs to be corrected on campus, students can follow through and be the change. Don’t wait for the change to just magically appear.”
Poetry, Politics and Presidency
After graduation, Boyd plans to pursue a master’s degree in national security and intelligence at the Bush School in Washington, D.C. With her degree, she wants to be a part of the President’s Cabinet, work alongside a president and found a governmental organization to aid marginalized groups. “I want everyone to live a comfortable and safe life here on earth,” Boyd said. “For me, this means continuing my fight with women’s rights, women’s suffrage, continuing to support the LGBTQ+IA community, the disabled community, and increasing rights and services for people who are homeless.”
While she dreams big, she plans practically. Boyd offered very pragmatic advice for current students, including utilizing available university resources, like the Health Center, University Tutoring Center, the library, Writing Center, Student Recreational Center, the university garden, and more: “You pay for these services in your tuition, so you might as well use them.”
Beyond academics, Boyd also advised students to eat well, pack their lunches and cultivate some healthy hobbies, from scrapbooking to crocheting, offering these pearls of wisdom: “Do your homework ahead of time, don’t wait for 11:59 p.m.”
But perhaps the opening lines from a poem she wrote to encourage a friend going through a difficult time in prison best describes what drives her: Believe in yourself, friend; you can do this.
Click here to view a complete listing of this semester’s notable graduates.
By Christine Won
-PVAMU-