By Deborah Walker

When Christian Oliver first stepped onto the Livingstone College campus for a campus visit, her mother thought she saw her daughter walking by, only to realize it was another student who looked just like her. For Oliver, that moment sealed it. “It felt like home,” she said, smiling. I know that might sound cliché, but it truly did.”

Home, for her, was something she carried in pieces. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, with roots that reached deep into Louisiana soil, she spent summers in Marksville, the small town her father called home, and holidays in Shreveport with her mother’s family. She grew up moving between those worlds: the rhythm of a big city and the stillness of small-town Louisiana. “It was always me and my mom, or me and my dad,” she recalled. “My sister joined the military when I was in elementary school, so for a long time, it was just us.”

Oliver found her grounding in movement. She cheered for three years, picked up basketball, and eventually fell in love with track and field, the sport that would define her high school years. Outside of school, she and her father were part of the J Boss Riding Club in Houston, spending weekends at trail rides — another kind of rhythm that connected her to community and tradition. “That was my thing,” she said proudly. “I did track for eight years and was on varsity my junior and senior year.”

Even as she sprinted down lanes, she was racing ahead academically.

At Cypress Creek High School in Houston, Texas, she participated in a dual-credit program that allowed her to take college courses while completing her high school requirements. By the time she graduated, she had already earned an associate’s degree in science and achieved a 6.35 GPA on a 7.0 scale, a number that tends to make people pause in disbelief. “It translated to about a 4.1 on the college scale,” she said, laughing. “Because I was taking dual-enrollment and college-level classes, our grading system was different.”

Despite her achievements, Livingstone was not originally part of her plan. “I had never heard of Livingstone until about a year and a half before I applied,” she said. Her mother had found a flyer for a scholarship fair at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston and suggested they go. Oliver printed her transcript and résumé, more out of curiosity than expectation. That day, she met Shari Hill, who serves as the senior recruiter for Livingstone College. “She had me fill out an on-the-spot application,” Oliver said. “After looking at my grades, she offered me a full ride.”

A few months later, she visited the campus and knew it was where she belonged. “The size, the energy, the people, it all felt right,” she said. Coming from a hometown with fewer than 5,000 people, she wanted a school that felt close-knit. “I didn’t want to get lost in the crowd. I wanted a community.”

That sense of belonging grew into something much bigger. By the time she arrived on campus, her dual credits had already placed her as a junior. A year later, at only eighteen, she became the youngest Miss Livingstone College in the school’s history. The day she won that title, she also crossed into the Sigma Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. “By the end of that day, I just felt relieved,” she said. “It was a lot of work and long nights, but it was surreal. I never imagined that would happen to me.”

Her decision to become a Zeta had deep family roots. Her father, a proud Grambling State University alumnus and Mason, had taken her to homecomings since she was a child. “Seeing the sisterhood and brotherhood they had, I knew I wanted that one day,” she said. “When I met my chapter president, Alyssa Walker-Gurnell, we had a class together, and she was a Zeta. It just felt right, like family.”

Balancing youth and leadership has been both a gift and a challenge. “People always think I’m older,” she said, laughing. “When I tell them I’m nineteen, they’re shocked. Because I’ve put myself out there, people expect a lot of me. It’s a blessing and a curse. I have to remind myself that I’m still young, that I’m allowed to enjoy college and make mistakes.”

For Oliver, the title of Miss Livingstone means resilience, a word she repeats often. “It takes a lot of resilience to hold this title,” she said. “But it also took resilience to become her. Everything I’ve gone through has shaped me and given me the backbone to keep going.” She’s had to learn how to balance her responsibilities with being a college student. “Sometimes I have to say, ‘Okay, I love y’all, but I’ve got work to do,’” she said. “It’s about prioritizing and being mindful of my time.”

Through it all, she’s leaned on her mentors, people like Mr. Ranzeno Frazier, who she calls a father figure and who serves as the advisor of Livingstone’s Royal Court Committee, and Dr. Da’Tarvia Parrish, Director of the Honors College, who convinced her to run for Miss Livingstone in the first place. “She was calling me every other day,” Oliver laughed. “‘What’s your talent going to be?’ She gave me the confidence to do it.”

Her reign has brought her new experiences beyond Livingstone’s campus, from conferences like HBCU Kings and Queens in New Orleans to NASAP in South Carolina, where she proudly represents the College on a national stage. “I love showing people that even though we’re small, we’re mighty,” she said. “Don’t count us out.”

Now, as she prepares for Coronation on October 27, 2025, Oliver feels the excitement building. This year’s theme, The Harlem Renaissance, celebrates the era’s fusion of art, music, business, and unapologetic Black excellence. The choice, she says, reflects both her and Kaiyon’s (the 21st Mister Livingstone College) shared love of business and ambition. “The Harlem Renaissance represents Black excellence and the fruition of Black power,” she said. “That’s what we wanted to bring to Livingstone: class, creativity, and confidence.”

For the first time in Livingstone’s history, Coronation will take place outside, beneath thy maples and thy oaks. Oliver imagines the moment: the October air crisp against the night, the hum of anticipation moving through the crowd, and the soft glow of lights strung across the lawn. As

she stands on stage, her gown catching the night breeze, President Anthony J. Davis steps forward to place the crown upon her head. It is a moment rooted in legacy, one that bridges the dreams of generations past with the promise of what is yet to come. Under the stars, surrounded by her peers, Oliver embodies the very essence of the Renaissance she’s honoring: grace, intellect, ambition, and power reborn.

Now, as she prepares to graduate in May with both her associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, just before her twentieth birthday, Oliver is looking ahead. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Psychology. “I’m excited to really get into my profession and learn my craft,” she said. “Technically, I’ve been in college for four years already. I’m ready.”

Still, she’s learning to slow down and appreciate each step. “I have a bad habit of focusing on what’s next,” she admitted. “But I’m trying to be more present and thankful for where I am. God’s brought me this far for a reason.”

At just nineteen, Oliver carries herself with the confidence of someone who’s been preparing for this moment her entire life. But beneath the crown, she’s still that girl from Houston, grounded, gracious, and determined. “I want to leave a legacy of empowerment and inspiration,” she said. “I want people to know that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you’ve been through. If you believe in yourself and have faith, you can do it.”

If her journey had a soundtrack, Oliver knows exactly what the song would be: “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog. “That’s how I feel,” she said softly. “Being Miss Livingstone has pushed me to grow deeper and understand myself more as I step into womanhood. This title has taught me accountability, leadership, and how to use my voice for others. In becoming Miss Livingstone, I’m becoming the woman I’ve always dreamed of. I really am almost there.”