Celeste Thompson ’21 grew up in Peoria and attended Richwoods High School. With a double major in psychology and sociology, she hopes to attend medical school after college, focusing on psychiatry or forensic pathology.
1. How did you get involved in rebooting the NAACP on campus?
I met Peoria County Auditor Jessica Thomas at a voter registration event on campus last spring. She flagged a friend and me down. When we told her we were already registered, she asked whether we would consider joining the Peoria chapter of the NAACP. We exchanged phone numbers, and texted back and forth all summer. The campus NAACP chapter had gone inactive about five years ago, and Jessica asked me to consider starting it up again. So I reached out to several others, and we decided to do it.
2. Why do you think the NAACP is important for Peoria and to Bradley?
I’ve lived my whole life in Peoria and have seen and experienced a lot of the community concerns. There’s a large push for greater health advocacy and agency as well as providing better and more accessible opportunities for youth development (social, educational, professional).
3. Where are you in the process of re-establishing the campus chapter?
We’ve sent in our charter reactivation application. Our prospective unit is keeping in close contact with the Youth and College Division of the national office. We still have a lot of hard work to do before re-establishing a successful chapter. We’re currently waiting for a letter of completed reactivation.
4. What else are you involved in at Bradley?
I’m the founding president of MAPS (The Multicultural Association of Pre-health Students). Our mission is to serve as a pipeline for marginalized students by providing social, financial, professional and educational opportunities that will further their careers in school and in the health care field.
5. What’s your favorite campus hangout?
I practically live in the Student Center. I work there (for Event Services), eat there, study there, and sometimes take naps there. My favorite room is room 14, the “Reading Lounge.” That’s where I take my naps.
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