Lewiston Native Makes History as University of Idaho Student Body President Before Saturday Graduation
MOSCOW — A young woman who grew up in Lewiston will walk across the stage at the Kibbie Dome on Saturday as one of the most accomplished student leaders in University of Idaho history, crediting her hometown roots for shaping the person she became.
Seyi Arogundade, president of the Associated Students of the University of Idaho, will graduate this weekend after completing her degrees in journalism and political science in just three years — made possible in part by advanced coursework she completed at Lewiston High School. Along the way, she became the first Black student body president in the university’s history.
Lewiston High School Laid the Foundation
Arogundade traces her ambition directly back to her time at LHS. Writing for the school newspaper, The Bengal’s Purr, and participating in news broadcast competitions through Business Professionals of America helped ignite her interest in journalism. Her involvement in student council gave her a taste of campus leadership.
The moment that set her path came during her senior year, when she attended a UI event and heard a speech from the student government president at the time. She turned to her father and told him she wanted that position someday. His response was simple: go for it.
“I think a lot of the things I did in high school really shaped me and helped me prep and become who I am today,” Arogundade said.
She was elected ASUI president in the spring of 2025, fulfilling the promise she had made to herself years earlier.
A Historic Year Marked by Challenge and Advocacy
The timing of her election carried added weight. Around the same period Arogundade became the UI’s first Black student president, state legislation required the university to shut down its diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs. The closures affected multiple campus centers, including the Office of Equity and Diversity, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Diversity Center, the Black/African American Cultural Center, the LGBTQA Office, and the Women’s Center.
Arogundade described the closures as devastating and called those spaces critically important to students who relied on them. “It was really hard because you want to feel like the people who represent you also care about you,” she said.
Rather than stepping back, she channeled that frustration into action. Her ASUI team worked to improve funding for student clubs and organizations that could help fill the gap left by the discontinued programs. She also became a vocal advocate for the Idaho Launch Program, a state initiative that provides funding to high school seniors pursuing higher education or career and technical training. Her administration additionally pushed for the creation of a student subcommittee within the Idaho State Board of Education structure, arguing for a stronger student voice in statewide education decisions.
Those efforts reflect a broader civic-minded outlook that community watchers in the Lewis-Clark Valley — an area known for producing engaged young leaders — might recognize. Lewiston’s own Titus Yearout recently made headlines for his college athletic transfer decision, another example of local students making their mark beyond Nez Perce County.
What Comes Next
Arogundade is not rushing to map out her next chapter. She says the world is full of opportunity and she plans to take time to explore what lies ahead. She expressed deep gratitude for the relationships she built during her three years in Moscow.
“I’m just really thankful for this place and I’m going to miss it incredibly,” she said.
She will be among more than 1,800 students eligible to receive degrees at Saturday’s commencement ceremony at the Kibbie Dome. Lisa Grow, president and CEO of IdaCorp and Idaho Power Company, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address. Edmund Schweitzer, founder of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Erik Peterson will each receive the UI President’s Medallion at the ceremony.
For Lewiston, Arogundade’s story is a reminder of the civic and academic foundation that local schools and community institutions help build — one that continues producing graduates who go on to leave their mark far beyond the Lewis-Clark Valley.