Great Grads 2026: Kyla Thomas

Create, Code, and Carry the Torch: How Kyla Thomas Became JCSU's Class of 2026 Salutatorian

By Brandon Jones

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Kyla Thomas almost texted her mom the news instead of calling her.

Not because she wasn't excited. She was. But in the moment she found out she had been named Salutatorian of the Johnson C. Smith University Class of 2026, she froze — not from disbelief, but from a very specific and relatable problem.

"I didn't know how to pronounce salutatorian."

She laughs about it now. But the truth is, that moment — the hesitation, the excitement, the quiet pride of a young woman who had been going back and forth in her head wondering if she had done enough — captures everything you need to know about Kyla Thomas. She is someone who works incredibly hard, doubts herself just enough to stay humble, and then quietly outperforms every expectation.

Including her own.

Home, Heart, and an HBCU

Kyla was born in Asheville, North Carolina, but Charlotte has been home for most of her life. When it came time to choose a college, the decision was guided by two non-negotiables: a smaller school and an HBCU.

JCSU checked both boxes — and it was right in her backyard.

"Since it was so close to home, I just saw it as a good opportunity," she said.

What she didn't anticipate was how much the journey would reshape her entire understanding of what college was supposed to be.

"When I first arrived, I saw it as more of a means to an end — yeah, I want to have fun, but I'm going to get my degree," she recalled. "But towards the end, I realized it's about the journey. As cliché as it is, it's about what it takes to get there."

From Video Games to a Career in Tech

Kyla's major — Computer Science and Information Systems — was chosen the way the best decisions often are: through genuine passion.

Growing up, she loved to create. In every form. But one specific love stood out above the rest: video games. When she discovered in high school that coding was how games were built, something clicked.

"I took a class in high school and I've just loved it ever since," she said.

But like many young people with a passion for gaming, Kyla heard the familiar skepticism. It's just a hobby. It's a waste of time. Until she got to JCSU — and met the person who would change everything.

The Mentor Who Saw Her Potential

If there is one person Kyla credits most for her growth at JCSU, it is Dr. Lawson Williams — the founder and advisor of JCSU's Esports and Gaming program.

"Growing up, a lot of people always told me gaming was just a hobby — a waste of time," Kyla said. "But she was excited to have me and showed me the business side of it, where you can make money, where you can have a career."

Kyla didn't just join the program. She became a work study student there for all four years, eventually rising to serve as President of the JCSU Esports Club — a role through which she drove meaningful change that she hopes will outlast her time on campus.

"Anything from this point forward in the club, through all the changes I've made — hopefully that continues," she said.

The Art of Creating

Ask Kyla what she does when she's not coding and the answer might surprise you.

She crochets. She knits. She draws. She sews. She makes jewelry. She creates — in any form she can find.

"I love to create," she said. "I don't feel like I get to express it enough because I've been so busy over the last four years, but I like to make things with my hands just as much as I like to make things with code."

That same creative spirit led her to found something entirely new on campus: a Crochet Club at JCSU.

"I'm really hoping that continues," she said with quiet pride. "That's something I want to leave behind."

In many ways, Kyla Thomas — the coder who crochets, the gamer who sews — represents something important about what JCSU produces: students who defy the boxes people try to put them in.

Sacrifice, Compartmentalization, and Keeping the Eye on the Prize

Being Salutatorian doesn't happen without cost. For Kyla, the price was time.

Balancing work study, coursework, club leadership, and everything else that comes with college life meant that she missed events, skipped social moments, and spent countless hours studying when others were not.

"Time was a lot of it," she said. "Between work and classes, I spent a lot of time studying and doing schoolwork. I did miss out on a lot."

Her strategy for pushing through on the hardest days? Compartmentalization.

"Whenever I got bursts of motivation, I used them to their fullest. And whenever my body was telling me to rest or relax — I rested and relaxed."

She kept one thing in clear focus through it all: the goal.

"The higher I strive, the less room there is for error for something else to come up. I always wanted to keep my eye on the prize."

Mom, Home, and Leaning Back on Charlotte

Behind Kyla's journey is a support system rooted in family — her mother, grandmother, grandfather, aunts, and cousins, all from Asheville — and the kind of love that shows up in practical, everyday ways.

"My mom has been the biggest supporter throughout all four years," Kyla said. "Since she's been in Charlotte, every time I drove home angry because of the dorms or something, it was just always nice to be able to lean back on home."

That proximity to home — one of the reasons she chose JCSU in the first place — became one of her greatest strengths. When campus got overwhelming, home was never far.

What Comes Next

Kyla Thomas is not going to graduate school — at least not yet. She will remain in Charlotte, stepping into a new role as a Technology Consultant. And on the side? She has a coding project she wants to build — not a full game, she clarifies, just something personal. Something creative. Something hers.

It sounds about right for a woman who has always found a way to build something from nothing.

Her Message to Incoming Golden Bulls

For the next class of students walking through JCSU's gates, Kyla's advice is both practical and deeply earned:

"Work hard, play hard. Get all your work done as soon as you can, to the best of your ability — and then spend the rest of your time relaxing and enjoying yourself. Because that's important too."

A Legacy Quietly Built

Kyla Thomas describes herself as someone who stayed out of the spotlight. And in many ways, that is true. But look a little closer at what she leaves behind — four years of esports leadership, a crochet club she built from scratch, and a salutatorian honor that was hard-fought and hard-earned — and you see someone whose impact will be felt at JCSU long after she walks across the stage.

"I hope they just remember what I did when I was here," she said.

They will, Kyla.

And when asked what JCSU ultimately taught her, she offered an answer as thoughtful as everything else about her journey:

"Johnson C. Smith University taught me that life teaches the same lessons over and over. You just have to notice — and make the change."