Alumni Spotlight: Lucien Armour

One of the Few. The Proud. A Marine.

by, Ty-Saiah Moss

Photo: Courtesy

I believe that everything happens for a reason. Many of my classmates have done several Alumni Spotlight interviews but this is only my second one. Both of which were selected for me by Mrs. Jones. After connecting with Class of 1998 alumnus Lucien Armour-- I understand the method to Mrs. Jones' madness. (Ok, maybe not madness but you get it.) I understand and I relate to Mr. Armour and some of what he experienced during his time here at University. Sounds to me like he was just as popular with his peers and just as good in sports as I am.

After Mr. Armour graduated from University High School, he went to Rutgers University where he studied Finance. He says that he wasn't "fully committed to [his] studies and mismanaged [his] time in horrible fashion." Even though he wasn't hitting the books like he should've been, he had to leave Rutgers because of financial reasons and not academic ones. Although he admits, "[it] wouldn’t have been [long before he was expelled] based on my academic focus at the time." 

Despite that minor setback, Mr. Armour went on to further his education while in the United States Marine Corps with American Military University for a degree in Intelligence Studies. He continues to educate himself because he, "truly believe that learning is a lifelong experience. Students from University High School are all eager learners, and I think that thirst for knowledge never fully leaves us. I’m glad that it doesn’t leave us!" 

Mr. Armour's current occupation is as follows: He is a  "contractor to the Department of State in a high security clearance level position to maintain security integrity during the construction of new US Embassies." His job sounds like one that comes with a lot of demands and pressure. It surprised me when he said said, "I enjoy what I do because it is an important job and one which affords me the opportunity to travel the world and experience different cultures."  Actually, I think I would enjoy a job that allows me to see the world as well.  

Mr. Armour has a very important high level position, so I asked him to share the personal attributes that he thinks one would need to successful in such a profession.

"For success in my profession I think that integrity, dependability, and vigilance is very important. Attention to detail is also important because its a safeguard against potential threats." 

I'm going off to Clark Atlanta University in a few short months. I'm not scared, but I do wonder if I am prepared. So, I asked Mr. Armour if he felt that University High School adequately prepared him for college. Without hesitation he said, "Yes, it is a college preparatory school and the teachers there definitely do provide you with the tools to succeed at the next level. However, the onus is on you as a student to manage your time wisely once you get there. I really enjoyed my experience at Uni because everyday I was happy to be there. Uni is special because it isn’t a very large school. As a result, you really get the opportunity to engage with your teachers on an individual level. The educators there were the best. I still feel that Uni offers a very unique experience to students that attend there."

He came back to me a moments later and added the following, " You know I wanted to actually talk more about the roots that Uni planted first in preparing me for college and a future career. [Which started in] 7/8th grade with Mrs. Gironda’s Latin class and Ms. Ferraro’s English class greatly impacted my writing and critical thinking skills. I took Latin for two years there and my English teacher had us writing 7 page papers in 7th grade with footnote citation and reference pages. The teachers at University definitely challenged us all to be the best students that we could be. Every student there was and still is to this day, an overachiever. UHS was very successful in bringing that out in students. Uni was also great for providing their students with the tools necessary to be successful in life-- I hope it still is."

No comment on the seven pages in 7th grade with footnotes and Latin-- wow!

I know Mr. Armour spoke a lot about his academic memories but I was curious to know what his fondest memory in general of his days here at UHS. 

"One of my fondest memories at Uni is when it was the end of the school year in June and the school days were slower, the sun was brightest, and everyone was in great spirits including teachers (Lol). During those last few weeks we played a lot of spades, the pick-up basketball games were more intense, and we all shared a lot of laughs together." 

I then asked him if there was anything in particular that he looked forward to doing. His response, "Everyday I looked forward to playing basketball, kicking it with my friends and going to math class. Math because it was my favorite subject, but other classes I enjoyed as well mostly because the teachers were cool."

Mr. Armour seems like a real man of respect. He was open and honest with me in this interview. He seems like the type of person to keep it real so I asked him to share some advice with the current students of University High School. 

"I would say that you should do what you are passionate about. When you pursue a career in something you are passionate about, you tend to want to be the best you can at it. Your passion will drive you to learn it inside and out, all the while making that experience enjoyable. I would also say that you should develop a plan to achieve your goals and try to stick with that plan. It is smart to have a backup plan as well because doing so will help against being discouraged when your initial plans are unsuccessful."

Photo: Courtesy

Mr. Armour now lives halfway around the world. I can't reveal his exact location because it's classified. Luckily, he made himself available for this interview. I appreciate him and the time he spent having this virtual conversation. Mr. Lucien Armour is shining example of what young Black men from Newark, can become. Much respect to him for his service to our country.