Earlier this week, Vice President Kamala Harris made a stop in Houston as a stop on the campaign trail. Her stopping in Houston caused major excitement for Texas Southern University students as well as fellow Howard University alumna and Harris’s best friend, Melanie Miles.

Harris is an alumna of Howard University, and HBCU students are a key group of voters that could help Harris get to the White House. In an interview with KHOU 11, Texas Southern students and alumni shared their thoughts on Harris’s run for president.

“I think it's very inspirational for Black women who want to get into politics or who want to be public servants to see that you can be the top of the top,” said Mikayla Wallace, president of the Texas Southern debate team. “I think it's super revolutionary.”

Texas Southern alumna Kamau Marshall was named senior advisor for the Harris presidential campaign. She spoke on the importance of protecting the work the Biden-Harris administration has already done.

“The upcoming election is of utmost importance, and the progress made by the Biden-Harris administration must be protected,” Marshall said in a statement to KHOU 11. “I am proud to be part of this team, fighting for a better tomorrow and future ahead.”

Since Harris was in Houston, KHOU 11 also had the opportunity to talk with her best friend, Houston attorney Melanie Miles. Harris and Miles met at Howard University in 1982, the two became lifelong friends and sorority sisters. While at Howard, Miles and Harris both ran for class president for their majors. Miles for Business and Harris for Liberal Arts.Miles shared that she and Harris did a lot of things together, including marching on the South African Embassy. She even said they almost got arrested together.

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Harris was in Miles’ wedding and is her son’s godmother. It was Miles who persuaded Harris to join Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Miles was also her sponsor, and even gave Harris her line name. When she found out that Harris was running for president, proud was one way to describe Miles.

“I woke up the other day, and I thought, ‘Oh my God. My dear friend is going to be President of the United States,'” Miles told KHOU 11.

“We have the opportunity to change the course of history, and it's so important,” Miles said.

Harris was in Houston to visit the Harris County Office of Emergency Management for an update on Hurricane Beryl's recovery. She also spoke with the American Federation of Teachers at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston.