B.A., Mass Communications

Former Director of the Men's Achievement Center

"I lead the Men’s Achievement Center (MAC) and African-American Male Initiative (AAMI), and I’m committed to build and grow it to expand our community locally and globally."

"I grew up gifted, but in the wrong environment. I was the first to go to college in my family – I had a sports scholarship, then flunked out and I kept getting into trouble. A friend said, “You’re going to be dead or in jail if you don’t change things.” Before I went to sleep that night, I promised myself I’d make a change. I applied to NCCU and called the admissions office every day until I was accepted. I was a 22-year-old freshman living in the dorm because I gave up everything to be there, and I didn’t have much: two bags of clothes and a pair of shoes. When I stepped on campus, my life changed – I saw people with dreams, missions and passions – but I had high anxiety, imposter syndrome, low self-esteem and lots of issues in my suitcase. Little did I know my troubled background would be the framework for my future purpose."

"Early in my time at NCCU, I started getting into trouble again, and I got called into office of the Dean of Students. He saw I had been letting out the anger and pain from my past and allowing it to get in the way of my potential. He suspended me because of my actions, but said if I would go to counseling, I could come back when I was healthy. I went home that summer to work through my issues, and it allowed me to have a new mindset. I tell everyone now if you have these feelings, get some help; healing is ahead of you. That was the turning point of my life – I knew I was given another chance when he could’ve thrown me out for good, and he saw a gift in me that I didn’t see in myself. When I came back, my brain was clear to make the right decisions. I was involved all over campus, my grades sky-rocketed and I was refreshed and renewed. I became someone even I didn’t recognize – NCCU saved my life, so my mission now is to help others."

"I’m who I am today because the people at NCCU cared and gave me the ability to break through barriers. Every day, I work with young people from backgrounds like mine, and it’s my passion. I call it a lottery DNA – you never know what family you’re going to be born into, so I help students understand that no matter where you came from, you don’t have to be stuck there. I see brilliant young men who don’t realize their potential become confident, well-spoken and break generational curses. I get to watch them graduate, start careers, become scholars and fathers and eventually become my friends, and I challenge them to do the same. I’m building a spiderweb that spans into the community so that these young people can take what they learned and spread it to others through connections that can take you places money never can."

"Our program is one of the first in the nation, and we’ve structured it for growth. My goal is to expand this program, which will grow retention and the male population on the whole campus. One way we do this is through giving them confidence in how they present themselves, both in the way they communicate and how they dress. Each of the 40 young men in the incoming class receives a maroon blazer, and then a gold one when they graduate to represent wealth, health and brotherhood. We’re also growing in other populations, so our Latino students wear gray blazers, and our African Alliance students from Ghana wear green blazers, a symbol of the earth and resources. We want everyone to find a place of belonging."

"Soon, we’re launching a study abroad experience in partnership with Ghana University for the purpose of building a similar program there. We currently offer a 30-day summer program, and eventually, we will offer students a full semester or year exchange program to experience other cultures and broaden their experience. I help bring up these Eagles, and they then become the birds that soar in other communities to push the program forward and bring others in as we continue to grow. "