Lincoln University Celebrates the Launch of the 2025-26 Academic Year at Opening Convocation

Lincoln University of Missouri celebrated the start of the 2025-26 academic year at the annual Opening Convocation in Mitchell Auditorium.

Lincoln University of Missouri celebrated the start of the 2025-26 academic year with its annual Opening Convocation on Thursday, September 4, in Mitchell Auditorium at the Richardson Fine Arts Center. Piyusha Singh, Ph.D., interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, presided over the event.

The opening convocation is a formal ceremony marking the beginning of each academic year at Lincoln. It serves as a pivotal gathering to set the tone for the year ahead. The convocation embodies the spirit of the university’s motto, “To Labor and Study,” emphasizing student dedication to scholarly pursuits and the quest for knowledge.

In his greeting, Lincoln University President John B. Moseley, Ed.D., highlighted how the power of together is the foundation of Lincoln University. He noted that, working together, LU has increased retention rates, improved academic performance and broken ground on new projects and expansions.

“This is our time to continue growing and building,” President Moseley said. “This is when we set new goals and stretch them. This is when we ask more of ourselves and each other to make Lincoln University stronger, better and more beautiful.”

The keynote speaker for this year’s convocation was Treaka Young, Ed.D., ’92, ’93. Young is the director of State Fair Community College’s Jefferson City campus and the first African American elected to the Jefferson City Council. A longtime Jefferson City resident, she moved from St. Louis to attend Lincoln University, where she earned a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees, later earning a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Young retired from the Missouri state government in 2022 after more than 20 years and most recently served as a program manager for the University of Missouri. She has been active on numerous boards, including United Way and Habitat for Humanity, and is a 30-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Young is committed to community empowerment, educational equity and connecting residents to meaningful resources.

In her address, Young shared with students that her journey was forever shaped by her time at Lincoln University. She offered several lessons learned throughout her life:

• It’s OK to do it afraid.
• Mistakes are not failures; they are feedback.
• Trust your instincts.
• Never give up.

“Lincoln University gave me more than an education,” Young said. “It gave me a foundation. It gave me mentors who saw more in me than I saw in myself. It gave me the skills to navigate complex systems and the confidence to make hard decisions. This place is where I found my voice.”

Click here to view photos from the 2025 Opening Convocation ceremony.