Imunique Liggens, SGA President, Prairie View A&M University

Invest: spoke with Imunique Liggens, SGA president of Prairie View A&M University, about student needs, community spaces, and what makes students want to stay in Prairie View. “As PVAMU continues to grow, the surrounding community has to grow with us,” Liggens said.

As SGA president, what are you hearing from students about what they want and need from the city of Prairie View? 

As SGA president, one of the biggest things I hear from students is that they want more food options, more entertainment, better access to everyday necessities, and stronger communication and partnership between the city, the University, and students. Food is one of the biggest priorities. Students want more affordable and diverse restaurants in Prairie View, including options that provide different cuisines and quick, convenient meals. Students should not always have to leave the community to find the food options they want.

Access to fresh produce and everyday groceries is an important need. Students would benefit from a grocery store or market that offers fresh fruits, vegetables, and other necessities within the community. Having access to fresh produce would be especially valuable for students who may not have reliable transportation to travel to larger grocery stores outside of Prairie View. We also need stronger communication through social media and other platforms, especially when it comes to internships, jobs, community programs, and opportunities for students to gain experience. Students want to know what is happening in the city and how they can get involved. 

What would students most like to see in terms of restaurants, retail, entertainment, and other businesses around campus? 

Students want more food, retail, and entertainment options without always having to leave Prairie View. Some of the businesses and concepts students have mentioned include: Chipotle, Wingstop, Jersey Mike’s, Insomnia Cookies, Chicken Express, H-E-B, or a Walmart Supercenter. Students are also interested in entertainment options such as karaoke, indoor golf, and a social club or after-hours gathering space where students can safely hang out, socialize, and enjoy themselves after campus activities and events.

Having a student-centered social space in Prairie View would give students another option to spend time with friends without having to travel outside of the community. There is a real opportunity for businesses to serve this market while giving students more reasons to spend their time and money in Prairie View. 

As enrollment grows, how are student needs changing around housing, transportation and overall quality of life? 

As PVAMU continues to grow, the surrounding community has to grow with us. Students need safe, affordable, accessible, and well-maintained housing, along with reliable transportation and access to everyday necessities. Housing affordability is especially important because many students living in communities such as Panther Hill pay their housing costs out of pocket, and some students rely on their financial aid refunds to help cover those expenses.

I think there is an opportunity to explore student discounts, incentives, or partnerships that could make housing more affordable for PVAMU students. Panther Hill is a beautiful community, and maintaining that quality is important. Students want to see consistent upkeep, timely maintenance, and continued investment. I have also heard concerns from students about maintenance response times and the availability of workers to address issues.

Regardless of whether the challenge is staffing or workload, students should have confidence that when something needs to be fixed, there is a clear process and that issue will be addressed in a reasonable timeframe. Infrastructure is another major concern. Richard Road, where Panther Hill is on one side and Brookside is on the other, is an important connection for students and residents and needs attention to its condition and safety. As the community grows, our roads and infrastructure need to keep pace with that growth. 

What kinds of community spaces or activities would give students more reasons to spend time in Prairie View beyond the campus? 

Students want more places where they can eat, socialize, relax, and enjoy themselves outside of campus. That could include restaurants, entertainment venues, community events, outdoor spaces, and safe places to gather. I also think there is a need for after-hours social spaces where students can connect, attend events, listen to music, participate in activities, and spend time with friends in a safe and welcoming environment. Food options are particularly important. Having more affordable and diverse restaurants would give students more opportunities to support local businesses instead of traveling outside of Prairie View for different options. Creating more destinations throughout the city would strengthen the connection between PVAMU and Prairie View while creating more opportunities for local businesses.

How can local businesses and city leaders build a stronger connection with PVAMU students and better serve this growing market? 

The biggest thing is partnership and engagement. Come to campus. Talk to students. Work with SGA and student organizations. Attend campus events. Use social media to communicate with students. Create internship, employment, networking, and mentorship opportunities. I also believe the city and PVAMU need a stronger and more consistent partnership. There should be regular communication between city leadership, University leadership, SGA, and students so concerns can be addressed and opportunities can be identified together. Local businesses should also understand that students are not just customers. We are future employees, entrepreneurs, homeowners, and community members. If businesses build relationships with students while they are here, there is a greater opportunity to keep those relationships after graduation. 

Looking ahead, what would make Prairie View a place where students want to stay, work, start businesses, or build their lives after graduation? 

It comes down to opportunity and quality of life. Students should be able to graduate from PVAMU and see a reason to stay in Prairie View. That means having career opportunities, internships, quality and affordable housing, diverse food options, retail, entertainment, after-hours social spaces, reliable transportation, safe and maintained infrastructure, and support for student entrepreneurs.

We have Panthers who are going to become doctors, lawyers, educators, entrepreneurs, engineers, and leaders across the country. I would love to see more of those Panthers have the opportunity to say: “I went to Prairie View, and I decided to build my future here.” As SGA, we want to help strengthen the relationship between the city, the University, local businesses, and our students. The future of Prairie View should include the people who are helping shape it right now, which are our students.