On the afternoon of April 1, 2026 Mister and Miss Howard University candidates gathered in front of Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall before a crowd of students waiting to hear who would take the crown.
“All of the candidates were lined up in the front. They were announcing the candidate names, and I was just sitting there thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, please, let them say my name,’” said Miles Francisque, who was a junior and an election candidate at the time.
When his name was called, Francisque, now a senior human performance major from Long Island, New York, was officially named the 50th Mister Howard University, becoming the latest student to carry on a five-decade tradition of leadership at the university.
But, he didn’t always know he wanted to wear the crown. At first, he planned to attend Iona University in his home state of New York, on a rowing scholarship.
Unfamiliar with the experience of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU), he said it wasn’t until he visited Howard during his senior year of high school that he knew it was where he belonged. He walked through Douglass and Alaine Locke Hall, vividly envisioning the next four years of his life.
“I came from attending [predominantly white institutions] my entire life, so stepping onto this campus felt more welcoming than the environment I was used to,” he said. “I could literally see my future and the success that I could have. I saw it all planned out already.”
That day, he said, he told his parents he had to go to there, paid the deposit and committed to his journey as a Bison. But when he arrived for his first day at Howard, the reality was different from what he had imagined. Imposter syndrome began to kick in, and he wondered if he’d made the wrong choice.
As time passed, however, he found his community in spaces on campus such as Men of George Washington Carver, Inc., the Drew Hall Step Team and through his experience in the Mister Freshman pageant.
“If it wasn’t for me building that community and relationships by stepping out of my comfort zone during that first week, I don’t think I would be here right now,” said Francisque.
While he built his network, he said people began to push him toward running for Mister Freshman. Francisque really began to consider the idea after observing the 47th Mister Howard, Mahlon West.
“I saw the way Mahlon carried himself in every room he stepped into, and at the pinning ceremony, and I realized that’s something I wanted to do,” said Francisque.
Francisque decided to run for Mister Freshman in 2023, and while he did not win, pageantry and campaigning became a way for him to express himself.
“I’ve been acting since fifth grade, so I’ve always loved performing and being able to express myself. Royal Court became my way of expressing myself freshman year, and I still do that now,” Francisque said.
With the help of friends and brothers from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., he said, Francisque became Mister College of Arts & Sciences (COAS) in 2025 under his campaign, “The New Edition.” But entering his next semester, Francisque decided he didn’t want to stop there. Winning one of the most coveted campus crowns would be his next goal.
“Going into junior year, I knew Mister Howard was much bigger than Mister Freshman and Mister COAS,” he said. “I didn’t realize how important the smallest details were for Mister Howard until my ideas kept getting shot down.”
Finding his theme for his Mister Howard campaign took Francisque months, he said. It finally came to him during Thanksgiving break of his junior year while watching the “Now You See Me” movies with family. The film’s emphasis on illusion made him think about the hidden struggles behind the day to day lives of Howard students.
“There’s an illusion that everybody feels seen and heard. But in reality, some students are secretly hiding their grades from their friends and parents. They’re struggling behind the scenes,” said Francisque.
He said running his campaign for Mister Howard was the most memorable of his three pageant experiences. During one of his events, “The Magic Knot,” Francisque said he gave away 30-40 dress ties to students on campus. Many of those students later approached Francisque, sharing their sentiments about how impactful the event was.
Ssanyu Lukoma, a senior honors broadcast journalism major from Matawan, New Jersey, won the election alongside Francisque, claiming the 88th Miss Howard University title. Almost six months after their win, Lukoma said their relationship has grown.
“There have been so many challenging times, and he’s been the person who brought me peace of mind,” Lukoma said. “He knows how to cater to the people around him in a way that makes them feel seen and heard.”
Before Francisque held the title, it belonged to Hamid Jalloh, the 49th Mister Howard University — and their stories are similar. Jalloh, a 2026 graduate, also grew up in New York and attended predominantly white institutions for most of his life. He too, wanted to go to another university but later decided Howard was the place for him.
He also did not initially seek the path to the crown, but being encouraged to run for Mister College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences (CNAHS) Jalloh declined. A mentor pushed him to stop turning down opportunities.
“At the time, there were no candidates that were running for Mister CNAHS at all. So they were just reaching out to people like, ‘Hey, would you be interested?’” Jalloh said.
Though he was hesitant about the pageantry aspect of the competition, Jalloh said winning opened his perspective and propelled him into a year of increased campus involvement, including serving as vice president of the 2024-25 CNAHS Council and joining Alpha Phi Alpha. By the time the possibility of running for Mister Howard University came around, however, Jalloh was ready to step away from the spotlight.
His friends, however, encouraged him to reconsider. Jalloh began to see the position as an opportunity to represent his Sierra Leonean and Guinean heritage while connecting with students across campus. With their encouragement, he decided to give the election a chance.
After winning the election in 2025, Jalloh said when he realized the crown was his, all the efforts paid off.
“I almost got trampled over by everyone in the circle around me, but it was the most surreal feeling. It was the most amount of support I’ve ever felt in my life,” Jalloh said.
The 2024-25 Miss COAS, Eden Boles, also took home the crown that day as the 87th Miss Howard University. Jalloh and Boles grew a close relationship throughout their tenure as campus royalty.
“Hamid is very intuitive and a committed person. When he has a vision or plan, he is very deadset to see the execution of it,” said Boles, a 2026 graduate.
She shared that these skills came naturally to Jalloh, allowing him to turn visions into action during his historic reign as the first Sierra-Leonan Mister Howard University.
“He was able to take that same dedication and apply it to representing multiple demographics at Howard, and increasing male morale of being a Howard Bison,” Boles said.
Neither Francis nor Jalloh initially saw the crown as part of their college plans.
“Every king on the Royal Court has their own crown. It’s what we do with the crown that makes the king that we are,” Francisque said.
Copy edited by Jori Johnson
