Positive Vibes: SU Alum Avery Wilson

The Black History forum which was scheduled for Tuesday at 6 PM on February 16th, was announced cancelled due to the lack of Southern University student participation.
However, guest speaker Avery D. Wilson, who is a multi-talented consultant, has a story that many Louisianans aren’t aware of. As of 2016, Wilson will be representing the state as Mister Louisiana on May 6 through May 8, 2016 in The Mister USA Pageant in New York. Wilson says he had no plans on being the pageant winner, but has always had a motivation for pageantry and to be the best at what he does in life.
“It’s good to know that you are to set your sites high but you also have to surrender yourself to that unknown factor, which for me is God,” said Wilson.
On his journey towards the competition, Wilson is asking for Louisiana’s support as he sheds light in New York with his campaign, L-O-V-E Matters, which stands for “Living Optimistic Values Everyday”. Wilson says that his campaign is a three pillared platform in which each month heading to represents one: “love for self, love for others, and love for something greater”.
“If you can break it down, it’s living with some positive values daily. If you can do that, then you are emitting the energy of love.”
Wilson says that he has always represented Louisiana proud, even before accepting his title as the pageant winner. He added that growing up, he always had to be who he was, and that he was and not changing for others’ satisfaction.
“As a black male representing the state as an ambassador, I want to preach the message of being who you are. I am in tune with who I am, it’s ok to be different. We are a gumbo. There’s suppose to be different stuff in the pot, all looking different, tasting different”.
Wilson is a Baton Rouge native who attended Southern in 1999 and graduated with a degree in Political Science in 2003 and later a Bachelor of Arts from the Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs. During his collegiate years, he became the Student Government Association president at the age of 19 and later became the first student from Southern University to be elected as the National President of all Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Wilson also has passion for dance, in which now he owns his own dance company, MOKA, located in Baton Rouge, after being a four year staff instructor of the National Cheerleading Association.