F
Fellowship
Finding your people through social events, organization showcases, networking, meetups, and class-wide service.
Build community
✈
✈ NOW BOARDING • THE FIRST CLASS
LEADERSHIP • SERVICE • COMMUNITY
FIRST
CLASS.
ONE CLASS • ONE VOICE • ONE HERD
Your first year at Howard only happens once. Let's make it count. I'm CJ Boxhill, running for Freshman Senator At-Large to help our class become more connected, informed, equipped, and heard.
BOARDING PASS
FIRST
CLASS
Howard Freshman Class
Howard University
FC-001
FIRST
THE YARD
YOUR VOICE
BOARDING
ONE CLASS. ONE VOICE. ONE HERD. ☝
☝
THE FIRST CLASS IDEA
FIRST YEAR SHOULD BE MORE THAN AN INTRODUCTION.
“It should be an opportunity to build community, discover opportunities, access resources, serve others, and have a meaningful voice in the Howard experience.”
MEET CJ
One class. One voice. One herd.
Swipe through the campaign portraits and the ideas behind First Class.
CORE CAMPAIGN MESSAGE
“Your first year at Howard only happens once. Let’s make it count.”
PEOPLE • IDEAS • PROGRESSFor the class. For Howard. For what comes next.
THE PILOT
Proven before the ballot.
I’m CJ Boxhill, and I’m not running for Freshman Senator At-Large just because I want a title. I’m running because representing people, communicating what matters, and turning ideas into action is work I’ve already chosen to do.
Why I’m prepared to represent our class
Leadership has been a consistent part of my life—from student government and class leadership to journalism, service, and campaign work. Those experiences taught me how to listen before speaking, work with different people, communicate clearly, and keep showing up when the work gets difficult.
Student LeadershipServed as a senior class officer, SkillsUSA Vice President, and Percussion Captain—roles built around responsibility, teamwork, and representing others.
Journalism & AccountabilityWorked in student journalism and produced the nationally recognized political podcast “Red, Blue and A Lot to Do,” interviewing public officials and covering issues that affected the community.
Civic ExperienceCovered local elections and public affairs, learning how government decisions reach real people and why accurate information and accessible representation matter.
Service & OrganizingHelped lead school and community efforts, managed teams, supported athletics, and worked on political campaigns—experience that taught me that leadership is service before recognition.
Why I call myself a proven fighter
For me, being a fighter does not mean being the loudest person in the room. It means staying persistent when something matters, asking the questions that need to be asked, advocating for people who trusted you to speak, and following through after the attention moves somewhere else. I have spent years practicing those habits before ever asking Howard students for their vote.
Why I deserve the opportunity to serve
Your senator should be more than a name on a ballot. They should be a bridge between students and student government—someone willing to hear concerns, find answers, bring resources back to the class, and be accountable for what happens next. That is the standard I’m asking you to hold me to. The First Class is my commitment to make our first year more connected, informed, equipped, and heard: One Class. One Voice. One Herd.
THE CAMPAIGN
What does your first year at Howard look like?
The First Class campaign is about creating a freshman experience where students feel connected to Howard and empowered to shape their experience from the beginning.
01 • FELLOWSHIP
Who are we?
02 • INFORMATION
What do we need to know?
03 • RESOURCES
Where can we find help?
04 • SERVICE
What can we do?
05 • TRANSFORMATION
What happens when we speak?
THE F.I.R.S.T. PLATFORM
Five pillars. One freshman class.
F.I.R.S.T. turns the campaign's vision into a practical framework for how CJ would serve as Freshman Senator At-Large.
I
Information
Making events, deadlines, scholarships, internships, organizations, academic resources, and leadership opportunities easier to find.
Know your Howard
R
Resources
Connecting students to academic, professional, financial, campus, and community resources in one accessible place.
Connect to opportunity
S
Service
Creating ways for freshmen to give back through service days, recurring opportunities, and community engagement.
Give back
T
Transformation
Turning student voices into action through consistent feedback, communication, advocacy, and follow-through.
Turn voice into action
FROM PLATFORM TO ACTION
First Class isn't just a slogan.
These are the signature ideas designed to make the campaign useful to freshmen before, during, and after election season.
FIRST CLASS 101
An educational series covering Howard 101, getting involved, finding opportunities, professional development, finding your people, and understanding student government.
FIRST CLASS OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK
A recurring digital series highlighting scholarships, internships, organizations, events, leadership opportunities, and academic resources.
FIRST CLASS FEEDBACK
A consistent channel for students to submit ideas, concerns, questions, priorities, and suggestions—followed by clear updates on what comes next.
FIRST CLASS FRIDAYS
Recurring engagement centered on meeting CJ, finding your people, finding opportunities, telling CJ what Howard needs, and collecting student feedback.
FIRST CLASS FILES
A social series that puts freshman voices at the center by asking what students are excited about, concerned about, and hoping to accomplish.
FIRST CLASS SERVICE
Freshman-class opportunities to serve Howard and the surrounding community through a First Class Service Day and recurring service projects.
MEET THE TEAM
The people behind The First Class.
Meet the students working behind the scenes to bring The First Class campaign to life.
Jasmine Mambu
Campaign Manager
Shania Moss
Social Media Creative Director
Faith Ngwa
Communications Director
Victoria Byers
Creative Director & Graphic Designer
Ayo McGregor
Creative Team
Kamara Smith
Social Media Team
Sarai McClinton
Photographer & Creative Team
Jaylyn Lawson
Social Media Team
THE CABIN
First Class, together.
A look behind the campaign—our team, our energy, and the people working together to make the freshman experience first class.
YOUR VOICE
YOU SAID.
WE HEARD.
HERE'S WHAT'S NEXT.
Transformation starts with listening. The goal is to create a consistent process for students to raise ideas and concerns—and to know what their representative is doing about them.
WHAT DOES YOUR FIRST YEAR NEED?
Share what matters to you.
- COMMUNITY
- ACADEMICS
- OPPORTUNITY
- CAMPUS
- VOICE
WELCOME ABOARD
Let's make freshman year count.
The First Class campaign is built with students, not simply presented to students. Whether you want to volunteer, share an idea, or help spread the word, there's a place for you.
YOUR FIRST YEAR
ONLY HAPPENS ONCE.
ONE CLASS. ONE VOICE. ONE HERD.