Zac Thomas passes torch to next UMW NASA president

by ALLA ABDELHALIM

Contributing Writer

In connecting with his community while balancing school and work, senior studio art major Zac Thomas has spent his time on campus moderating educational panels, getting featured in exhibits at local museums and organizing social events in celebration of his Afro-Indigenous heritage as President of UMW’s Native American Student Association (NASA).

This semester, Thomas’s presidency is sadly coming to an end as he graduates in the spring, leaving behind the organization he has worked hard to expand over the last two years. 

“I feel it’s a necessity for me to be who I am in the space where I’m at and represent my cultural identity wherever I go,” he said. “Whether that meant being the only person in the group, or having other people in the group, it was important to me to get out and find out more about the indigenous landscape in Virginia.” 

Chris Williams, assistant director of the James Farmer Multicultural Center and Multicultural Student Affairs, has served as the advisor to NASA for the past seven years. 

Originally, Williams had been introduced to Thomas by Jason Sellers, associate professor of History, two years ago when Williams was searching for a new NASA president.

 “When I first met [Thomas], we really hit it off. From then on, he’s been a very integral part of not only the Native American Student Association’s success, but the center’s success,” said Williams.

Alongside working, studying and leading events, Thomas took Ava Hild, NASA’s new social media coordinator and a sophomore accounting major, under his wing to experience the celebrations and learn what NASA is all about. 

As the semester goes on, Hild is working directly with Thomas to understand the responsibilities of being NASA’s president and what a semester typically entails. 

“Watching him run the club is really inspiring because he does everything, and he knows a lot of things. It makes me want to learn more from him,” said Hild. 

Thomas’s advice for future leaders of NASA is to learn the landscape that you fit in, the wider area that you inhabit. 

“You can’t just stay in one place and think that you’re learning,” said Thomas. “Learning is also going out in the community and applying the skills, going to coffee shops, talking to store owners and asking about opportunities that they may know, and some of the things that you’re interested in getting to know people in the community.” 

Thomas is a member of the Turtle Clan of the Muskogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. Similar to city-states, the Muskogee people have towns full of several families or clans that govern specific areas. 

“We have a bunch of Incorporated counties within our reservation. It’s a bunch of different towns and stuff that are all within the Muskogee Creek Nation. We’re sovereign. We have three branches of government,” said Thomas. 

Williams hopes to find someone who will live up to Thomas’s reputation as NASA president. 

“[I want] someone who’s just as passionate, dedicated, committed and really focused and detail-oriented, that’s what it takes to be a student leader, specifically for president of NASA,” he said. 

Despite being one of four active members of NASA, Thomas has continued to create a space to celebrate his heritage.

“Being able to bring indigenous culture to UMW has been a life-changing experience for me,” said Thomas.