BRANDON, Manitoba — September 7, 2026
Laughter, conversation, games, dancing and the aroma of Nigerian jollof rice filled the air as students and community members came together for the 2026 Loy Excellentia Picnic, held September 6 in Brandon, Manitoba.
Organized by the Loy Excellentia Initiative, the annual picnic gave students a chance to step away from the demands of school and work, meet new people, reconnect with friends, share experiences, and build a stronger sense of community as the new academic year begins.
Sixty people registered for this year’s picnic. Participants represented a culturally diverse community, including people from Nigeria, Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago, and Sudan. Students from Brandon University and Assiniboine College participated alongside members of the wider Brandon community.
But the afternoon was about more than food and recreation. From the beginning, the emphasis was on helping people move beyond simply being in the same space to actually getting to know one another.
From Strangers to Conversations
The picnic began with some opening group activities like icebreaker that challenged participants to meet someone new, discover five things about that person, and then introduce them to the larger group.
It was a simple activity, but one that quickly generated conversations and laughter among people who, in many cases, had not known each other before arriving.
Participants were also introduced to the Loy Excellentia Initiative—its mission, vision and programs—and the opportunities available for students to become involved rather than simply attend events.
That spirit of peer support continued as returning and senior students shared some of their own experiences of navigating university life in Canada.
Their conversations touched on practical realities that can easily be overlooked: what happens when you miss a bus, particularly during a Manitoba winter; finding the confidence to participate and engage in the classroom; developing a sense of belonging; and learning how to navigate a new academic and social environment.
Rather than presenting themselves as having all the answers, the students shared lessons from their own experiences and practical ways newer students could respond to some of these challenges.
For Dr. Aloy Anyichie, Founder and Director of Loy Excellentia Initiative, these informal exchanges are an important part of what the picnic is intended to create.
Speaking with participants, Anyichie emphasized the importance of coming together, developing relationships and building networks beyond one’s immediate classroom or academic program. He encouraged students to support one another and to take advantage of opportunities to meet people from different programs, institutions, cultures and stages of their educational journey.
He also challenged students to go beyond attending events. Where opportunities exist, students can volunteer, contribute ideas, assume leadership roles and help shape the kinds of experiences and communities they would like to have.
Games, Dancing, Food—and a Little Taste of Home
Once the conversations were underway, there was plenty of time for fun.
The picnic featured both outdoor and indoor activities, including soccer, chess, group games, individual dance challenges and group dancing. Some students were introduced to chess and had an opportunity to learn the game from others.
There was also enough food and drinks, including Nigerian jollof rice for all who came.
For some participants, these seemingly simple moments of eating, playing and laughing together carried a deeper meaning.
Chima Muoghalu, a third-year Computer Science student at Brandon University and International Students Representative with the Brandon University Students’ Union (BUSU), described the picnic as “fun and welcoming.” After a busy summer of work, he said the gathering helped him release some stress while also giving him an opportunity to meet new people.
His advice to other students was simple: show up.
Events like the picnic, he noted, can be therapeutic, provide opportunities to connect and give students who are far from home “a little feel of home.”
That sense of connection was also important to Koreen Lewis, a first-year Early Childhood Education student at Assiniboine College from Trinidad and Tobago.
Lewis described the picnic as enjoyable, with good food, great people and a welcoming atmosphere. She encouraged students to continue showing up for opportunities like it.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet new people, build community, and feel more connected, especially for those of us who are far from home,” she said. “It’s needed to keep us going.”
Finding Community—and People Who Can Help
For Makena Alwena, a first-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing student from Kenya, the picnic helped make Brandon feel a little more familiar.
She met students in the same program who shared useful information—showing how a conversation at a picnic can become a source of practical support for a student navigating a new institution and community.
She encouraged other students to stay focused on their studies while also getting involved in volunteering and employment opportunities connected to their areas of study.
Oyindamola Kayode, a fifth-year Biomedical Science student from Nigeria, similarly described the picnic as fun-filled and interactive. She particularly enjoyed learning about different cultures and making new friends.
Her advice was to build relationships beyond the people students encounter every day in their own programs and classrooms.
“Make friends with everyone, not just people in your program or classes,” she advised.
She encouraged students to connect with those ahead of them who can share their experiences, while also building relationships with newer students to whom they can pass on what they have learned.
Creating a Place to Belong
For returning participant Zainab Oke, a third-year Psychology major and Sociology minor at Brandon University, the picnic has become a meaningful part of her student experience.
Originally from Nigeria, Oke first attended the picnic last year. She said the experience has given her more opportunities to connect with other students, meet new people and become more comfortable talking with unfamiliar faces.
“It creates a welcoming and fun environment, especially before the school year begins,” she said.
Oke also highlighted the role of Loy Excellentia in bringing African, Black and Caribbean students together and strengthening a sense of community. She would like to see more students participate because, in her view, their involvement makes these experiences stronger and helps ensure that such opportunities continue.
Her advice to students is to “show up, participate, and take advantage of the opportunities available.”
Students sometimes feel there is little happening around them, she observed, when the real issue may be that they have not signed up or shown up for the opportunities already available.
Through initiatives such as student picnics, Black History Month activities, mentorship, volunteering and professional development workshops, Loy Excellentia Initiative seeks to provide spaces where students can connect, learn, contribute and thrive.
A Picnic Built Together
One of the most encouraging parts of the 2026 picnic was that the event itself became an example of community participation.
Students did not simply arrive as guests. They helped make the day happen.
Community members and students brought and shared items needed for the event—from chairs, balls, and chess sets to buckets for chilling drinks and insect repellent. Others contributed their time to planning, setting up activities, coordinating food, welcoming participants and keeping the day moving.
Stella Akomolafe, a second-year Master’s student and member of the Picnic Planning Committee, served as Master of Ceremonies, facilitating the day’s activities and helping participants move through the different parts of the program.
The event was supported by a student planning committee chaired by Uzodinma Chilaka, a third-year student in Brandon University’s Master of Environmental and Life Sciences program (Geography & Environment), originally from Nigeria.
As Chair of the Picnic Planning Committee, Chilaka led the committee meetings and worked with fellow student volunteers to help turn the plans for the gathering into reality.
Committee members were Uzodinma Chilaka, Stella Akomolafe, Austin Chukwunta, Princess Eze, Chinyere Odu, Chima Muoghalu, and Kossisiochukwu Emecheta, who currently serves as Black Students Representative with the Brandon University Students’ Union (BUSU).
Anyichie thanked the committee and everyone who brought supplies, volunteered their time or contributed in other ways.
The collective effort reflected one of the messages shared with students during the picnic: community becomes stronger when people see themselves not only as participants, but also as contributors.
Rotary Club of Brandon Continues Its Support
The picnic was also made possible through the continued support of the Rotary Club of Brandon, which contributed $500 toward the event, with Loy Excellentia Initiative covering the remaining costs.
Rotary also provided a microphone and sound system for the gathering.
The contribution continues Rotary’s support for the Loy Excellentia Picnic following its assistance with the previous year’s event.
Cheryl Winger, Youth Director and Rotary Club Youth Coordinator, joined the picnic and spoke with students about Rotary, community involvement and opportunities that can come from becoming connected with the organization.
She highlighted resources available through Rotary, including online learning opportunities, and encouraged students to consider the value of service, membership, and connecting with wider community networks.
Anyichie thanked Winger and the Rotary Club of Brandon for their continued support and for investing in opportunities that help students connect with one another and with the wider Brandon community.
From Belonging to Empowerment: What Comes Next
As the picnic drew to a close, participants were encouraged not to allow the connections made that afternoon to end at the park.
Anyichie invited students to remain connected, support one another and bring their friends to Loy Excellentia’s next major student event.
On Saturday, September 12, 2026, Loy Excellentia Initiative will host its Beyond the Classroom Professional Development Workshop at Brandon University from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The free workshop is designed for post-secondary students who identify as African, Black or Caribbean. Professionals from the Brandon community will lead practical conversations and sessions on financial literacy, research skills, health and wellness, settlement support, career transition, and other aspects of succeeding during and beyond post-secondary education.
Participants at the picnic were encouraged to register, arrive on time and invite friends who could benefit from the opportunity.
In many ways, the journey from the picnic to the professional development workshop reflects the broader vision behind Loy Excellentia Initiative.
Student success is not only about what happens in a classroom. Students also need opportunities to belong, build relationships, learn from one another, develop practical knowledge, create professional and community networks, and become active contributors to the communities around them.
At the 2026 Loy Excellentia Picnic, that process could be seen in ordinary but meaningful moments: a senior student advising someone just beginning university, someone learning chess for the first time, strangers discovering what they have in common, students sharing food, dancing together, exchanging experiences—and people contributing whatever they could to make the day better for everyone.
Sometimes, building community begins simply by showing up.
Join Us on September 12
Learn more and register for the Beyond the Classroom Professional Development Workshop:
https://loyexcellentia.org/loy-excellentias-black-students-professional-development-workshop/
About Loy Excellentia Initiative
Loy Excellentia Initiative is committed to mentorship, empowerment and excellence, creating opportunities that support students’ academic, personal, professional and community development through mentorship, professional development, community-building activities, volunteering and partnerships.
Thanks for the great work you are doing.I attended the 2025 edition as a Rotary member,together with Cheryl and Harrison and was also supposed to attend this year’s edition together with them until another engagement clashed at the last minute.
Thank you for your kind words.
Rotarians are very supportive of our events.
I hope you’ll be able to make it to our future events including the professional development workshop happening this Saturday 12th September at BU.