When junior Chelsea Jones sat beside her mom, she scrolled through site after site about the school. Advanced Curriculum. Testing Profile. Graduation Requirements. And Finally Demographics. One number in particular stuck out to her, 5%. The percentage of Black students like her on campus.

“Almost my entire life, I’ve been the only Black student in my classrooms, which makes sense considering the area that we live in, but at times I felt like I had to shy away at being who I really was,” Jones said. “The isolation and misunderstanding that come with that are more common than people realize.”

At the start of the school year, Senate Bill 12 regulations required all clubs to shut down across campus and enter a reapproval process. Jones knew she didn’t want other students to feel the same way she did and took action to reinstate the Black Student Union, taking on the role of president.

“I knew in my heart that I wanted to do something to make sure others like myself realized that they aren’t alone and that they at least have one person to lean on,” Jones said. “Whenever I revamped the club I wanted to start the year off with a BSU winter mixer which led to us getting to know each other a little better and gave people the confidence to reach out to me whenever they needed someone.”

To create connection, Jones began a new tradition of bringing cookies to each club meeting.

“I wanted to not only create a free environment for Black students to feel welcome in but also a space that would encourage friendship,” Jones said. “Bringing cookies isn’t just about the snack but about creating a safe environment where we can be ourselves without the pressure of feeling any judgement.”

While BSU is primarily for Black students to find community, anyone is welcome to join regardless of race.

“We have a wide variety of students who come,” Jones said. “There’s shy students, there’s athletes, there’s artistic kids, and there’s even some non-black students that come. In the past, it was only black students, but now we have some students who bring their friends. It just helps them understand what it feels like to be in a black space and they feel welcome as well.”

The month of February is recognized as National Black History Month throughout the United States and Canada, with 2026 marking the 100th anniversary of the first celebration.

“It’s important for people to be aware about BSU because it’s not just for black people, it’s for everyone,” senior Janae Johnson said. “To know Black history is very important, specifically with not separating the world like ‘This is black and this is white.’ It’s important to know both.”

This year, the club’s community service project BSU Gives Back focuses on donating gently used clothing to the nonprofit organization The Heartening. The Heartening is an Austin based nonprofit that operates a $3 clothing warehouse and free clothing stand. Donations are accepted throughout February in the lobby at the front of the school.

“A lot of times clubs that are just focused on culture are overlooked,” junior secretary Brianna Goodly said. “I know that me and Chelsea, we tried to work on making it big just to show that we are helping make an impact.”

Following this month’s drive BSU has plans to host Hearts in Unity, an event where any student on campus can connect with or learn from other cultural organizations across campus.

“A lot of times people think they understand a community based off of social media and the way that that community is depicted online,” Jones said, “But when you really get to know individual students, you realize that they break the stereotypes that we’re boxed into. I feel like BSU really signifies that. I hope future Black students don’t have to shy away like I did, but can walk into Rouse knowing there is a space already built for them.”