Born an Explorer

Dezlen Long, '27, has made the most of his time at La Salle University, getting involved with several campus groups while cultivating his love of history and discovering a passion within his field.

Dezlen Long, '27, talking about his passion for history on the Philadelphia Continental Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution stage at Independence Mall during the America250 July Fourth celebrations.

Nearly halfway through his final year at La Salle University, Dezlen Long, '27, has mixed feelings.

"It's kind of bittersweet," he said. "I'm excited to graduate but also I know I'm going to miss all the people, opportunities, and everything I had here."

It's not surprising that Long, a history and political science double major, will miss being at 20^th and Olney, as his involvement on campus and the opportunities he's made the most of have been endless.

Long is in the Pep Band and a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). He's part of the History Club, Democracy Matters, the Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society and the Phi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honors Society, as well as a panelist on La Salle TV's Exploring Politics.

His involvement isn't just limited to academics, though. Long gives back to the La Salle community, working as an Admissions Campus Explorer (ACE) and in the Connelly Library. On the social side, he's a member of the Black Student Union (BSU), the Vice President of Delta Sigma Phi, and the vice president of judicial affairs for the La Salle Interfraternity Council.

This level of Explorer pride is fitting for someone who was on campus before he'd even celebrated his first birthday.

"My mom was attending La Salle for her master's in nursing when I was born," Long said. "I spent a lot of my early life at La Salle, growing up and going to events on campus with her."

Even after she graduated, the visits didn't stop for Long, as his mother then began working at the University for the same program that she had just graduated from.

When it was Long's time to start applying to colleges himself, he still put La Salle on his shortlist, despite thinking he might want to try somewhere new and further from Philadelphia, the city that he'd grown up in.

Dezlen Long, '27, (right) with the La Salle Pep Band.

"When it came time to get down to the wire and make the decision, I said, 'okay, I'll choose La Salle.' And every day I am realizing that is probably the best decision Ive ever made in my life," he said. "I've kind of fallen back in love with the school from my early days, for lack of a better term, because it's all been coming together and I'm really like wow, this was the place for me, even if as a teenager I didn't feel like it, now I can fully understand and see that was meant for me."

Although his first semester as an Explorer and the transition from high school came with challenges, Long quickly settled into life at La Salle, crediting the people around him-from fellow students to the faculty in his program-with helping that happen.

"My professors were with me every step of the way, reaching out to me, checking in one me, making sure everything was okay and I had everything I needed," he said. "So, that transition became smoother."

La Salle's history faculty are a continuation of the people who have taught him history throughout his life, Long said, and they all play a big part in why he's so passionate about the subject. From a second-grade teacher who gave him a poster of the U.S. presidents and a history book about Egypt, to La Salle's faculty who always make sure he's up to date on internships and opportunities, Long is grateful to have always been around education professionals who encouraged and cultivated his interests.

"I think that's why I resonate so much with the professors in our department, because they are doing the same thing that was done when I was all the way back at seven years old," he said. "Making sure that I'm educated, kept in the loop, and have resources and materials."

Long's decision to major in history has paralleled his decision to become an Explorer. Although he'd always loved the subject, for a period in high school he wanted to be a mechanical engineer.

"I wanted money, and I really liked Iron Man," Long joked. Despite those two motivators, he quickly realized that he didn't actually enjoy math or science that much, and that majoring in history was the best decision.

In his sophomore year, when meeting with his La Salle advisor, Long found out about the option to become a double major, something that was particularly attractive as many of the classes he'd already taken for history would also contribute to his political science degree. It also made sense personally.

"History and political science have always been part of my life since I was young," he said, adding that one of his earliest memories is the run up to the 2008 presidential election.

His experience in both programs has been great, he said, and reflective of La Salle as a whole.

"I think our two departments really highlight the helping nature of our University and also the opportunities that we are able to come across," he said.

The faculty are responsible for many of those opportunities, Long said. Throughout his time at La Salle he's interned with the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collection Libraries and a grant from La Salle's School of Arts and Sciences funded an opportunity to do archival research and write two academic papers with Mark Thomas, Ph.D., assistant professor of international relations and political science, a project that also helped Long cultivate his passion within the history field.

Dezlen Long, '27, with his family after being awarded the Greenspan Scholarship.

"Research and archival work have become my niche now. I love primary documents, I love reading them with my own eyes," he said. "I made that decision pretty early on in freshman year that this is going to be what I want to do as a career."

Most recently, Long received the 2026 Greenspan Scholarship, a scholarship given by the Philadelphia Continental Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (PCCSAR) to one local student entering their final year of history studies. Long is the second consecutive Explorer to be awarded the scholarship.

The organization celebrates the award every year at a summer picnic. When receiving his, Long asked if he could address the attendees.

"I just talked about my experience and my love of history and then I talked about some ongoing political issues but it was more as a way of reassuring people that no matter what goes on, there are still people that love history and believe in history and want to see history continue to be explored," he said.

His speech resonated so much that Long was invited to deliver it on the PCCSAR stage at Independence Mall during the America250 July Fourth celebrations.

"It's always nice to know that people believe in you," Long said. "But, to me, it's also reassuring to older generations that there are still people who keep the faith and here to want to make true change and make sure that history is not forgotten."

As well as giving him an opportunity to share his passion for history with a broad audience, Long's time with PCCSAR and in the History Program have provided a space where he can meet a wide range of people, some of whom have acted as mentors and guides as he goes through his educational journey.

Those people, both on-campus and off, have been one of Long's Explorer highlights.

"The people that I have been able to meet here have just been amazing and exceptional, from professors to friends and fellow students," he said. "I talk about this on my tours, the people really are going to be the best thing about where you go because they make or break your experience, and the people here make my experience so worthwhile."

He credits the people, as well as his involvement on campus, with helping him to receive a true Lasallian education, one that has helped him in all facets of life.

"My experience here has been absolutely amazing," Long said. "My experience and all the things I do on campus, whether it be band or fraternity or student government, have really helped make me a more well-rounded person."

Dezlen Long, '27, (left) with the La Salle Pep Band.

They have also given him memories he'll take with him forever. One of those is playing with the Pep Band at a Big 5 game at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Being basically on the court and shown playing his trumpet on the jumbotron was particularly exciting for Long, who had never been to the arena before.

"Band is one of the things that I'm most proud of during my time at La Salle, just because of how much we were able to help our program and help make it grow," he said. "I think that's all encapsulated in us being at Xfinity."

Even with everything he's achieved at 20^th and Olney, as Long prepares to graduate, there's one incredibly valuable thing that the History Program gave him: a love of archival work that he hopes to build into a career.

"I'm not picky, I just want to be able to do something where I'm able to enjoy my work and where I get to be able to walk in day in and day out, hold history in my hands and write about it," he said. "I really think I have found something I love and I can't wait to see where it takes me."

-Naomi Thomas