Deja Harris Found More Than Just a Major — She Found a Mission
With deep roots in community and scholarship, Harris leaves UNO equipped to make change.
- contact: Annie Albin - College of Arts and Sciences
Deja Harris entered college unsure of what her next four years would look like. She had always dreamed of one day getting a law degree, but didn’t know where to start.
With the support of the University of Nebraska at Omaha community, she found academic programs that encouraged her love of learning and solidified her path towards law school.
For Harris, things just started to click after she declared her Black Studies major. She explored courses that kept her engaged and motivated, and found herself diving deeper into her studies and critically analyzing all things law, media, and society. As her interests continued to evolve, she declared a minor in Criminal Justice.
Opportunities kept opening for her. From an internship with Terri Crawford’s Undesign the Redline Exhibit to a leadership role as president of the Black Studies Student Association, her calendar quickly filled up — but she didn’t mind.
Balancing two majors and multiple extracurriculars required quite a bit of work, but for Harris, her inner fire to fight for others as a lawyer kept her going.
As she looks towards the future, she knows her studies at UNO have prepared her for her future as a lawyer. Soon, she'll complete the JD Next program and begin applying to law school. She’ll also be busy as the Vice President of the new North Omaha Redlining Commission, which plans to put together educational materials and events for community members interested in learning more about the city’s history.
Leaving UNO feels like the end of an era for Harris, but she’s assured that the connections she made here will last beyond graduation. From the Goodrich Scholarship Program to the faculty members in Black Studies — the familiar faces from her undergraduate years will continue to cheer her on as she takes her next steps into the world.
“Goodrich, Black Studies...” Harris said. “All the people that I've encountered through UNO have helped me so much.”