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A generous $50,000 gift from the Zeta Phi Alumni Foundation, a representative of the Zeta Phi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., will empower students in the University of Florida’s African American Studies program to expand their horizons through international study.

The endowment marks a significant milestone for the historically African American fraternity, which recently celebrated 50 years of service, leadership, and scholarship at UF. Presented during the African American Studies program’s fall convocation, the contribution reinforces Kappa Alpha Psi’s commitment as a continued force for positive change.

“The African American Studies Program would like fifty percent of its majors to participate in a study abroad program,” said Director of the African American Studies Program and Associate Professor of History David A. Canton. “The gift will provide the resources to help us reach our goal.”

Students will benefit from immersive study abroad experiences, enhancing their understanding of African diaspora cultures and histories around the world. The funds will annually support two $1,000 scholarships for students participating in study abroad excursions.

Currently, the program leads trips to Paris and Ghana, with plans to expand to additional locales. These excursions are pivotal to students’ learning, but financial constraints can be a barrier.

“We want all students to be able to achieve the full Florida experience,” said Cedric Washington (BSBA marketing ’87), the alumni foundation’s president. “Our gift helps bring all voices to the table.”

For over 50 years, UF’s Zeta Phi chapter has exemplified the fraternity’s core values of service, leadership, and academic excellence. Their hospitality and camaraderie with brothers across the Southern states have earned them a long-standing nickname as “The Pearl of the South.”

“Once you’re a member of Kappa, you’re a member for life,” said Washington. “Our story is woven into the very fabric of UF.”

Founded in 1972, the Zeta Phi chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. was the first Black Greek-letter organization chartered on UF’s campus. Kappa Alpha Psi is part of a group of nine historically Black Greek organizations called the National Pan-Hellenic Council, known collectively as the “Divine 9.” These groups were instrumental in the Civil Rights movement and continue to impact Black American life and culture.

The Zeta Phi Alumni Foundation began as a way for the brothers, nicknamed the Nupes, to socialize, but it has evolved to leave a broader legacy. The alumni return to campus every five years to celebrate their chapter’s founding and work continuously to maintain a close bond across generations with current members.

The chapter’s 50th anniversary in 2022 brought together over 200 UF alumni and another 100 friends and family from other chapters. The milestone inspired the alumni foundation to aim higher: They began fundraising. The fraternity members wished to continue the “legacy of success” established by several generations of Kappa Alpha Psi brothers.

“We’re trying to encourage students to be the best they can be, and anything we can do to make sure they’re hitting their goals, we’re going to do it,” said Washington. “It’s in our DNA.”

Now a business development manager at leading glass manufacturer O-I Glass, Inc., Washington credits his seasoned career in marketing and sales at Fortune 500 companies to values learned while serving as president of UF’s chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi between 1985 and 1987. He’s maintained an active leadership role ever since, organizing the fraternity’s reunion events for 25 years.

Washington’s enthusiastic leadership inspired Lt. Col. Michael Leon Killings when he first arrived at UF as a sophomore, joining the Kappa pledge class of 1996.

“Kappa is in my heritage,” he said. “It was an easy tradition to follow.”

Killings, now vice president of the Zeta Phi Alumni Foundation, jumped in to help Washington organize their 25th anniversary event in 1997. He made the most of his time as a student, embracing the Kappa fraternity’s motto of “achievement in every field of human endeavor.”

“If I was in the chemistry lab, or on the lacrosse field, I was trying to be the best of the best,” Killings said.

A self-proclaimed “space geek,” Killings continued to maintain this high level of motivation throughout his professional career. He earned a ROTC scholarship to complete advanced coursework in aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida through a program in partnership with the Kennedy Space Center.

Upon graduating, Killings was commissioned into the United States Air Force, working his way up through the ranks to become a mission director at the National Reconnaissance Office.

Now, as deputy director at the United States Space Force, Killings specializes in satellite launch logistics amidst the evolving landscape of national security and space exploration.

“I would take the same path a thousand times over, and it all started at UF,” he said. “The Kappa men pushed me to be more.”

As the Zeta Phi Chapter continues to celebrate its heritage, the alumni foundation looks ahead to the horizon. The brothers hope that supporting the study abroad initiatives in African American Studies will be a good start to allow more students to gain a nuanced understanding of African Americans’ historical, political, and cultural impact.

“We wanted to leave an indelible mark at UF, something that other Black Greeks can follow as a model,” said Washington. “We’ve achieved that goal and are eager to do more.”

With a vision of forward-thinking growth, the brothers plan to expand their initiatives to uplift the next generation of Gators.

For Killings, it all ties back to his personal mantra: “If not me, then who? If not now, then when?”

To support the African American Studies program or other student-focused initiatives, explore here.