Forever a Panther: legacy of the class of 2026

“One word I would describe the class of 2026 is vibrant. There are lots of personalities that are very vibrant and work well together,” says Princess Lauren Dixon in describing the graduating class.

After four years attending Claflin University, the class of 2026 is graduating this semester.

During its tenure, the graduating class has made an impact on the campus, from the various organizations its members joined and contributed to, to the peers they befriended and mentored along the way.

“The class of 26 made my college journey meaningful. I remember coming in my freshman and sophomore year and didn’t feel welcomed at Claflin, and I became friends with a lot of members of the class of 26,” sophomore Eriq Breshers said.

Here is a look at select seniors and their contributions to Claflin.

• Aiyanna Uter is 2025-26 president of the organization Friends of the Earth who has been a pillar in the creation of the organization since her freshman year. Serving as vice president her freshmen year alongside her friend Nailah Outing, they revamped Friends of the Earth to what it is today.

“I was initially interested in starting a garden on campus, so I asked Dr. Doctor and he said, “I think I can actually connect you with another student who can help you with that,” Aiyanna said.

After that, the two started Friends of the Earth and started working to gain more members and participation.

“There wasn’t a lot of engagement and we didn’t really know what to do at first, but gradually over the years, we’ve ramped up and applied what we’ve learned to the next semesters,” Aiyanna said.

Accolades of Friends of the Earth are:

• Being a part of the National Audubon Society.
• Traveling to Washington to advocate for an act to protect local wildlife.
• Attending leadership conferences and connecting with chapters across the country.
• Acquiring grants to fund campus events and initiatives.

  Aiyanna has also won a Dare to Soar! Award from the National Audubon Society and was nominated as a leader devoted to advocacy and change for birds and the environment.

• Jarrett Matthews is a senior having served as 2025-26 vice president of C.U.T.E., Claflin University’s Theater Ensemble.

  Jarrett has contributed a lot to C.U.T.E., including performances, backstage assistance and event planning. He designed the logo for the organization.

  “We have productions such as ‘The Color Purple.’ which I choreographed for. We do ‘Dance on Widows Row,” and we help with coronation and pageants on campus when it comes to stage building, lights and sounds” Jarrett said. “We also hold events for the public such as open mics, poetry nights and karaoke.”

  Jarrett was also able to audition for the Southeastern Theater Conference in Tennessee, helping him pursue his goals in acting, dancing and choreography.

• Senior Tamia Howard is 2025-26 president of the M.I.S.S. Women’s Organization.

Tamia helped get M.I.S.S. out of a transitionary period during her freshman year. Because of her work and dedication, the organization operates as it does today.

“I just knew that M.I.S.S. was going to be an organization that I saw myself and saw a lot of potential in,” Tamia said.

“I became the assistant secretary that spring semester and the president at the time, Nijah Allen, took me under her wing and gave me the opportunity to learn more of the logistics of how to run a campus organization.”

Tamia became president and helped reshape M.I.S.S. to what it is now. She contributed a lot, including rewriting the constitution; establishing big sister, little sister mentorship groups; helping rework their brother organization Movers; implementing their induction ceremonies, and building that sense of pride and sisterhood in M.I.S.S.

M.I.S.S is also a four-time winner of Organization of the Year at Claflin.

The underclassmen say they and the university will miss the class of 2026.

“Something that I will miss about the class of 2026 is their helpfulness. They’ll reach out to you if you need anything and you can reach out to them if you need anything,” Eriq said.

“I’m definitely going to miss my friends and the love they’ve not only poured into me but into the campus as well,” Princess said. “They are very special, and how they conduct themselves, no one person is the same as another.”

“The main thing I’ll miss about the class of 2026 is Mister and Miss Claflin as they did a lot to help us as freshmen on campus. But I’m really going to miss my band seniors because y’all are family,” said Ronald Smith, a freshman.