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Empowering students to be proud of who they are and what they can offer the world is a big part of Kei Mamiya’s work at Mississippi State’s Holmes Cultural Diversity Center. 

“People I’ve met through the universities I’ve attended have given me support and really helped me, and I want to be involved in that process for underrepresented students. We need their voices and representation,” Mamiya said. “This university is a really good place to work because it has a friendly, welcoming environment. I’ve always been interested in people and cultures from around the world, so I feel really lucky to be in this kind of position where I get to advocate for the voices of so many different students.”

Originally from Yokohama, Japan, Mamiya came to the U.S. in 2014 to pursue a master’s in sociology with a concentration in race and ethnicity studies at the University of Mississippi. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies with a focus on culture and society from Japan’s Meiji Gakuin University.

Since 2016, Mamiya has served as a program coordinator in the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center within MSU’s Division of Student Affairs. He enjoys mentoring the Latino Student Association, LGTBQ+Union, International Student Advisory Board and other student organizations that host events and programs for domestic and international students.

“My door is open all of time, so anybody can come in,” Mamiya said. “I have a table in my office if students need a quiet space to work. I think me being from a different country and of a different race is good for students of a similar background. It makes it easier for them to talk with me.”

As part of his diversity and inclusion work, Mamiya organizes Safe Zone Ally trainings that provide faculty and staff with information and skills to better support members of the LGBTQ+ community in the classroom and office. Along with completing Safe Zone Ally Training himself, Mamiya has participated in the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans’ Green Zone Initiative Training, which brings awareness and encourages advocacy for student veterans, service members and dependents at MSU.

At the encouragement of HCDC Director and �㽶ֱ��Assistant Vice President for Multicultural Affairs Ra’Sheda Forbes, Mamiya completed the university’s Leadership Excellence for Accomplished Professionals program in 2017.

“Working at Mississippi State is rewarding,” he said. “I can see a lot of changes and growth in students on an individual level. I want to help them grow and learn leadership from their experiences.”