Nakia N. Létang
Distinguished Faculty/Administrator
Nakia N. Létang has served the Fairfield University community since 2005, contributing extensively to the growth and success of the University’s admission initiatives. She began her Fairfield career as an associate director of admission for the Main Campus and now serves as the director of admission at Fairfield Bellarmine, the University’s two-year associate’s degree program designed specifically for first-generation and underrepresented students in the Greater Bridgeport area.
Over the course of her two decades at Fairfield, Létang has helped expand access, foster opportunity, and elevate the University’s national profile. A woman of faith and a first-generation college graduate, she sees a deep alignment between her personal journey and her work at Fairfield—an assurance, she says, that this is the work she has been called to do. “This is not just a job to me,” she explained. “It is my vocation.”
Létang earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Post University in Waterbury, Conn. During her own college application process, she first met William Johnson, PhD, now Fairfield’s associate vice president and dean of student life, who was then serving as an admission counselor at Post. Dr. Johnson supported Létang and her family through the admission process, beginning a professional relationship that would shape her career. After graduating, Létang interned in the Post University admission office under Dr. Johnson’s mentorship and was later hired as an admission counselor. When Dr. Johnson joined Fairfield University in 2005, he recommended Létang for an admission position—one she quickly grew into with distinction, becoming an invaluable member of the team.
Létang’s impact at Fairfield is far-reaching. Through individualized admission support, she has guided many students from applicant to alumnus, often becoming a pivotal and memorable presence in their Fairfield journeys. At the institutional level, she has helped develop initiatives such as the Company Scholars Program, which offers graduates of Cristo Rey Network Schools and Jesuit high schools the opportunity to join a cohort that receives advanced mentorship and full-cost scholarship support throughout their education at Fairfield.
Ahead of Fairfield Bellarmine’s opening in 2023, Létang played a central role in bringing the initiative from vision to reality. When she was invited to join the feasibility committee charged with launching Bellarmine, she recalls feeling immense gratitude and purpose. “It was an answered prayer. It changed my life,” Létang said. “Fairfield Bellarmine coming to fruition allowed me to further put my passion into a job description.” Drawing on her admission expertise, personal experiences, and deep connection to Bellarmine’s mission, she helped shape the program’s path forward. From the earliest ideation phase, her insight, care, and leadership have been instrumental in building the community, student experience, and guiding vision that define Fairfield Bellarmine today.
Létang lives in Stratford, Conn., with her husband, Alick, and their four children: A.J., Aleya, Ariana, and Zion. She is an active member and associate minister at Holiness Church of God for All People, founded by her grandfather in Bridgeport’s East End—just minutes from Bellarmine. That shared geography and sense of purpose deepen the connection between her life, family, faith, and Fairfield, reflecting the seamless way her personal and professional commitments continue to intersect.