Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. is a historically African-American fraternity at Northwestern State University. They are part of the National Pen-Hellenic Council and value brotherhood and helping the community in any way they can.
For their philanthropy, Kappa Alpha Psi donates to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, which provides pediatric cancer treatments. For their community outreach, they hold clothing and turkey drives for Thanksgiving and volunteer at nursing homes.
Kappa Alpha Psi has also held multiple events this school year, including: Achievement and Affirmations, where students were able to leave positive messages for one another; a canned good drive for the Natchitoches Parish 4-H Club; and a ball during homecoming to celebrate their 50th anniversary, uniting past and present members of the chapter for a night of fun.
Joshua Nolley is a junior accounting major and the president of the Theta Lambda chapter. Seeing his family in the fraternity is what pushed him to join in 2024. “I saw how Kappa affected them and how it pushed them to the next level, and I saw that as something that I wanted for myself. It’s been one of the best college decisions I’ve ever made,” Nolley said.
“It’s definitely taught me a lot of leadership skills and skills that I can transfer over into the business world whenever I graduate,” Nolley said.
Nolley’s advice for students is to be yourself and be purposeful. “Don’t let the letters get to you. Don’t let them make you feel like you’re somebody that you’re not. If it’s something that you really are interested in joining, come in with a purpose, come in with the attitude of, ‘I want to make a difference,’” Nolley said.
Like Nolley, Seth Archangel— a senior graphic design major and treasurer of the fraternity—joined because of family and an interest in the fraternity that began in his childhood. “I gained interest as a kid and wanted to pursue my dream once I got to NSU,” Archangel said.
While Nolley and Archangel joined because of family, others, like James Burrell—a senior health and exercise major and vice-president of Kappa Alpha Psi—joined because the fraternity stood out to them.
“When doing research and looking at all of the organizations, they were just the main one that stood out,” Burrell said. “They dressed nicely, [were] well mannered and stood for achievement. When I look at my life, that’s what I want to live for: to achieve and succeed in my life. If you’re all about achievement and success, then this is the right place for you.”
The Theta Lambda chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. values its members and community service, encouraging everyone to be themselves, succeed in life and give back to the community in any way they can.
