NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) –
Tennessee State University‘s Student Government Association has a new group of
officers for the 2019/2020 academic year.
The new student leadership, including a Mr.
TSU and a Miss TSU, was announced by the Student Election Commission on April 5,
during a ceremony in the university’s Amphitheater.
Kayla Sampson, the 89th Miss TSU, right, places the heirloom sash on the 90th Miss TSU, Jada Crisp. (Submitted Photo)
Frank Stevenson,
dean of students and associate vice president for Student Affairs, along with other
Student Affairs staff, was on hand to congratulate the new officers when the
election results were announced.
Katelyn Thompson,
of Memphis, a rising senior with a double major in criminal justice and
psychology, was elected the new SGA president, while Ryan Smith, a senior agricultural
science major from Atlanta, is the new SGA executive vice president.
Memphis native Jada
Crisp, a rising senior business supply chain management major, won the coveted
crown to become the 90th Miss Tennessee State University. Damyr
Moore, as the new Mr. TSU, will escort her. Moore is a senior mass
communications major from Atlanta.
SEC Chair, Jessica Fuqua, and SEC Member, Kobe Forman, announce the winners of the 2019/2020 SGA elections. (Submitted Photo)
“These new
officers are an amazing group of students,” said Tasha Andrews, director of
Student Activities. “The outgoing leadership did a great job and they left a nice
foundation for these students to continue to build upon. We are celebrating the
90th Miss TSU, so that’s exciting and a monumental year, so we want
to do some amazing things to celebrate that.”
Following is the
list of the new Miss TSU court and other members of the SGA:
Mr. Senior – Daryus Drayton – Psychology
Miss Senior – Kristian
Taylor – Marketing
Senior Class Treasurer
–
Lawrence Evans – Criminal Justice
Junior Class
President –
Makayla Davis – Mass Communication
Mr. Junior – Naton Smith,
Jr. – Health Sciences
Miss Junior – Maya Howard – Business
Marketing
Sophomore Class Vice
President –
Emmanuel Wallace – Agricultural Sciences
Mr. Sophomore – Mark Davis – Mass
Communications
Miss Sophomore – Mayora Berry – Mass Communications
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is
Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban,
co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree
programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU
has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one
of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social
mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee
State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit
the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – At least 40 vendors from across the city participated in the Community Health and Wellness Fair at Tennessee State University on April 5.
Chiropractic care, dental screenings and HIV testing were
just a few of the free services offered at the fair, which was a partnership
between TSU, the DP Thomas Foundation for Obesity, Vanderbilt University
Medical Center’s HIV Vaccine Program, and the Turnip Truck, a natural foods
grocer in Nashville.
A participant at the health fair receives dental screening. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
Participants also received information on weight-loss
management and nutrition, as well as fitness demonstrations and health
screenings.
Dolly Patton-Thomas, executive director of the DP Thomas
Foundation for Obesity, said the event was intended to motivate people to live
healthier lives.
“The expectation was
to bring the community together to let them understand the importance of health
as well as the availability of nontraditional and traditional medicine,” Thomas
said. “The partnership with TSU has been really great because they support us in
getting the word out to the community, as well as supply the space. They do a
lot for us and they put that message out there for a healthy lifestyle.”
TSU’s Dental Hygiene Department,
which provided intra-oral screenings at the event, has been one of the main
participants over the years.
Leon Roberts II, coordinator of clinics
for the department, stressed the importance of taking care of oral hygiene
because “it affects an individuals’ whole health.”
“The mouth is the gateway to the
body, so a lot of dental diseases don’t just affect the mouth,” he said.
“Periodontal disease is connected to diabetes, heart disease, and for women who
are pregnant, it is connected to low-birth weight babies.”
Sharronda Broughton is
program specialist for Outreach STD/HIV Communicable Disease with Metro Public
Health Department. She has been attending the fair for several years and is
impressed with how much the yearly event has grown.
“We participate in the
health fair to offer STD and HIV screening and awareness for the students,
staff and for the community,” Broughton said. “Each year we see more and more
participants. It looks like more people are now aware of what this event
offers.”
Lalita Hodge, TSU coordinator of
public relations and a member of the DP Thomas board of directors, also spoke
about the growth of the fair. She announced the addition of Bounce TV-Nashville,
Gilead Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., as new sponsors for
the fair.
“It was important for people to
come out to see what’s out there in health care with regards to traditional and
nontraditional products and methods to keep us healthy, because our health is
our wealth,” Hodge said.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 7,000 students,
Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a
comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38
bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral
degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the
top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility,
research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University
celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online
at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.
(TSU News Service) – Nashville’s four
historically black colleges and universities will come together on Wednesday,
April 10, in the first-ever HBCU Pride Basketball Tournament.
Tennessee State University, Fisk University, Meharry Medical
College and American Bible College will participate in the intramural sports
event involving non-NCAA student athletes.
Gerald Davis
The tournament will begin at 7:45 p.m., on the TSU Ralph H.
Boston Wellness Center Basketball Courts on the main campus.
Organizers say the event, intended to be a future fundraiser,
is free and open to the public. It will feature the kings, queens and royal
courts of the institutions, as well as vendors and entertainment. Court Yard
Wednesday – usually held in the TSU Student Center, where student organizations
set up tables and other displays – will move to the tournament site as part of
the festivities.
The tournament is the brainchild of Gerald Davis, TSU alum
and director of the Wellness Center. He said the idea to organize the
tournament and bring the four institutions together has been in the works for a
long time.
“HBCU Pride as an idea is something I have been thinking
about for about three years now,” says Davis. “It’s always been a goal and a
wish of mine to have all four HBCUs right here in the Nashville area to do
something together.”
He says representatives from the other institutions have embraced the idea and are excited about this inaugural event, with a plan to make it an annual event to raise funds for the four schools.
“I think something like this will have a positive spin to
have all four schools together. So, the basketball game for me is just a
backdrop of bringing all four schools together. More importantly, it is just
the camaraderie that I have always wanted to see all four schools together,”
says Davis.
Tammi Lavender, event co-organizer and director of student life at Meharry Medical College, says Meharry students like the idea of bringing the local HBCUs together and are excited to participate in the tournament.
“We have only intramural sports at Meharry, and so when I sent the email to our students they were very excited about coming down to participate,” says Lavender. “I definitely like the idea for the tournament and the plan to make it even better to support our HBCUs.”
HBCU Pride comes a few days before the start of Alumni Coming Home and Legends Weekend – April 12-14 – featuring a celebration of TSU football players who went to the pros, a 5K run/walk, and the Blue & White Football Game.
“The plan is to grow it and bring alumni back,” says Davis.
“I wanted to strategically put this around our (alumni) coming home weekend.
So, hopefully we will be able to get on the big schedule next year with other
activities.”
Participating institutions will receive trophies for first, second and third places, with the winning team receiving an overall championship trophy that must be returned and competed for each year, “like the Stanley Cup,” says Davis.
For more information on the HBCU Pride Tournament, call Gerald Davis at 615-963-2260.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is
Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban,
co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree
programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU
has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one
of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social
mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee
State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit
the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A group
of Tennessee State University freshmen recently visited Kipp Kirkpatrick
Elementary and posed this question to curious kindergarteners: “What is
College?”
On March 22, about 20 students from the Freshman
Innovation Council visited the elementary school and engaged four
kindergarten classes in activities around the question, as part of a TSU
Student Activities outreach initiative.
Students in four kindergarten classes at Kipp Kirkpatrick Elementary participated in the TSU “What is College?” initiative. (Submitted Photo)
Organizers said the
goal was to be able to give the young kids an early feel about going to
college.
“Putting on this program
for the kindergarteners about college was an amazing experience for us, just
as much as it was for them,” said Malik Meadows, a freshman early childhood
education major from Atlanta, who is the chair of FIC.
In a full day of
events, the group taught the kids TSU chants, vocabulary words, and
lessons on studying, making friends, and having good
behavior. Activities also included a puppet show of a lost Tiger who
meets new friends, as he finds his way across the Tennessee State University Tigers’ campus.
Meadows said
preparation for the visit and activities started in January with several
meetings among FIC members in consultation with Kipp teachers and staff “to
ensure excellence in our presentation.”
Tasha Andrews, TSU
director of student activities, who organized the visit, said the interaction
between FIC students and the kindergarteners was very educational and
entertaining.
“Our students
really shocked me with their presentation to the kindergarteners at Kipp
Kirkpatrick,” Andrews said. “I was so impressed with how they used the school
mascot and created their own coloring sheets, storyline, and games that
incorporated so many things about the TSU culture, but on a level for the
children to understand.”
According to
Andrews, Dean of Students and Associate Vice President Frank Stevenson kicked
off the “What is College” initiative for first-year students, with the creation
of Freshman Innovation Council. The group is comprised
of students who formerly served as class or student government association
presidents at their respective high schools, or are a part of the freshman
class council here at TSU.
FIC is scheduled to
take their kindergarten presentation to two more local elementary schools
before the semester ends, Andrews said.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is
Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban,
co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree
programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU
has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one
of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social
mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee
State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit
the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Jakori
Hollinger’s career goal is to own an orchestra company to compose music for
film, television and artists. He believes he is well on his way
at Tennessee State University.
“I am in the right
place,” says the junior music education major from Montgomery, Alabama.
“Tennessee State University has a great music program with well-rounded
professors, and being in the heart of Nashville, a major center for music and
entertainment, makes it so much better.”
Jakori Hollinger
Hollinger, a highly
recruited and multi-talented student from Jefferson Davis High School, came to
TSU with a near 3.7 grade point average. In high school, the first-degree
black belt was trumpet section leader and drum major in the marching band.
”Being a part of
the band played a heavy role in my decision to come to Tennessee State
University,” says Hollinger, adding that his interest in music
developed by accident.
“When I was in the
9th grade, I had a choice of going to the marching band or
joining some type of club in school. For some reason, the name marching band
had a ring to it that appealed to me. I tried it out and it stuck with me. I
liked the people; I really liked the atmosphere. After that, my love for music
just grew.”
At TSU, Hollinger
is a member of the world-renowned Aristocrat of Bands, a member of the Golden
Key National Honor Society (with a 3.6 GPA), a member of the student branch of
the Tennessee Educators Association, and a member of Eta Xi Chapter of Phi Mu
Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America.
Dr. Reginald
McDonald, TSU’s director of bands, describes Hollinger as very mild-mannered
and a hard worker who never complains.
“I just have been
extremely pleased with him,” says McDonald. “He’s another example of how the
Aristocrats don’t take lightly their responsibility as major ambassadors for
our university, and also living the true-life student musician. That’s Jakori.”
With a
concentration in instrumental music, Hollinger says he plans to go to graduate
school to study composition and some day teach music on the secondary or collegiate
level. Like most of his professors, who are TSU graduates, he would like to
come back to his college alma mater to give back.
“All of them have
been in the industry. They have actually done great things and are very
successful,” says Hollinger, about his professors. “For most of them to come
back and are teaching us the dos and don’ts on how to be successful in the
business is amazing.”
Hollinger adds that
TSU has been good to him. Many things stand out during his college
career, but being a part of the Aristocrat of Bands as a freshman,
when they performed for former President Barack and Michelle Obama at
the White House, is one “I will never forget.”
“Hopefully, I plan
to finish my career by being … an arranger/composer, as a way to give back to
my alma mater,” says Hollinger.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is
Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban,
co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree
programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU
has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one
of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social
mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee
State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit
the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee
State University will recognize its best and brightest students at the annual
Honors Day Convocation in Kean Hall on Tuesday, March 26.
State Sen. Raumesh
Akbari, of the 29th District, will be the keynote speaker.
About 2,340
students with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher will be recognized. Of that
number, 283 are on the President’s List. These students have maintained a 4.0
GPA throughout their matriculation, according to Dr. Coreen Jackson, interim
dean of the Honors College.
Some of the students, administrators and staff of the Honors College celebrate during the recent Honors Week observance on campus. (Submitted Photo)
TSU President
Glenda Glover, faculty, and administrators will be on hand to congratulate
the honors students.
Akbari, formerly a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for the 91st district, is a member of the Senate Commerce and Labor, Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Ethics Committees. She also serves as 2nd Vice-Chair of the Senate Education Committee.
A graduate of
Washington University and the Saint Louis University School of Law, Akbari is
chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus; treasurer of the National Black Caucus
of State Legislators (NBCSL), a state director within Women in Government, and
financial secretary of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative
Women.
She has received
several honors and awards from the Council of State Governments and its
affiliated Southern Leadership Conference, Leadership Memphis, Leadership
Tennessee, the National Council of State Legislatures, and the State
Legislative Leaders Foundation.
In 2016, the
Democratic National Committee invited Akbari to speak at the Democratic
National Convention in Philadelphia.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is
Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban,
co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree
programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU
has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one
of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social
mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee
State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit
the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE,
Tenn. (TSU News
Service) – Hundreds of students and parents are expected to attend Spring
Preview Day 2019 at Tennessee State University on April
13, organizers say.
The Office of
Enrollment Management and Student Success says high school seniors and
juniors from across the nation will attend the one-day event in the
Floyd-Payne Campus Center. Last year, more than 800 attended Spring Preview
Day.
TSU staff, right, talk to visiting students and parents about the university’s offerings and programs during Spring Preview 2018. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
The visiting
students and their parents and relatives – from about 15 states including,
California, Texas, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin – will have the opportunity
to see the campus during springtime, as well as acquaint them with the
university’s offerings and admission processes.
Activities for the
visitors, according to organizers, will also include meetings with academic departments,
TSU student organizations, campus tours, entertainment by the world-renowned
Aristocrat of Bands, and the Big Blue Tiger Spring Blue & White
Football Game in Hale Stadium.
“Spring Preview Day
will be an opportunity for students to come, meet and greet professors and
administrators at TSU to get a feel for what it means to be a student
here,” says Terrence Izzard, associate vice president for Enrollment Management
and Student Success. “Most of all, we want to inspire them to continue their
academic pursuits and make TSU their choice.”
Spring Preview Day 2019 comes on the heels of “Experience TSU,” another innovative recruitment campaign that will soon kick off in three major markets – Memphis, March 27; Chattanooga, March 30; and Birmingham, April 6. The aim is to meet students where they are.
TSU President
Glenda Glover is leading the campaign to meet prospective students
face-to-face to ensure their commitment to attend TSU.
These recruitment
efforts follow sweeping changes Glover announced in 2016 that raised admission
standards, as the university moved to increase retention and graduation
rates. Minimum requirements for incoming freshmen went up from a 2.25
GPA to 2.5, while the ACT score remained at 19.
Izzard
said “Experience TSU” is a way of “personally congratulating these
students for applying and being accepted” to TSU.
“We look forward to
personally welcoming these students and their parents to
our campus to let them know of all the wonderful opportunities to grow and
learn while here at Tennessee State University,” says Izzard.
Spring Preview Day will kick off at 10 a.m. in Kean Hall. For more information, go to http://www.tnstate.edu/emss/
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is
Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban,
co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree
programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU
has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one
of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social
mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee
State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit
the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The U.S.
Army’s top research officer says Tennessee State University is engaged in
research that could be beneficial to the nation’s military.
Dr. Philip Perconti, director of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Research Laboratory, made the comment during a one-day visit to TSU on March 14, with members of his directorate to discuss areas of potential research collaboration that could help the military.
Dr. Philip Perconti, Director of the Army Research Laboratory, makes a presentation to TSU faculty, graduate students, and visiting researchers and experts from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. (Photo by Reginald Cannon)
“There is a vast
array of research here, much of it in line with some of the priorities of the U.S.
Department of Defense and the Army in particular,” he said. “I was particularly
excited to see some work in infrared detector materials and modeling and things
of that sort.”
Perconti and his
team, including Dr. Jaret C. Riddick, director of Vehicle Technology
Directorate of the Army Combat Capabilities Command, saw presentations on
cutting-edge research, toured research facilities, and held discussions with
top TSU research officials, faculty and their graduate students.
They also made
presentations in areas of needs that could be aligned with the university’s
capabilities.
“We are extremely
excited to have Dr. Perconti and members of his research directorate on our
campus,” said Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young, vice president for Research and
Institutional Advancement. “It is even more exciting to have them recognize
that – by seeing our presentations, listening to our faculty, being in
our laboratories – that we are doing cutting-edge research that fits within
their needs and that’s going to help to provide outstanding, innovative new solutions.”
Branndon Jones, a
graduate student in mechanical engineering, attended the discussion with his
professor, Dr. Amir Shirkhoadaie, who was one of the TSU presenters.
Jones said the
discussions and responses of the visitors were very encouraging for “a young
researcher like me.”
“A meeting like
this justifies the work you are doing, because for the most part, you
show up in the lab and you stay there all day to find outcome,” said Jones,
whose research is in remote sensing and virtual environment for object
detection. “But you come to a gathering like this and see that the
research you are doing actually has real-world problems and examples
that you are working toward.”
Riddick said
there is an opportunity for Army science and technology to interface with the
“very critical areas of research here at TSU.”
“Talent management
is one of the priorities of the Secretary of the Army as we go into this
transformation into Army futures command,” he said. “So if we can look for
innovative partners, in terms of developing talents and developing work
force, this will be key for the Army in reaching some of the future objectives
we have for war fighters of the future.”
As a result of the visit, a TSU faculty, Dr. Kevin Santiago, research assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, was offered a full faculty fellowship to work with the Army Research Laboratory. He was also invited to bring a graduate student with him.
“TSU has provided
me with many opportunities in my short time here, and my goal is to pass
those opportunities down to the students,” Santiago said.
Crumpton-Young paid special tribute to Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, head of the U.S. Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command, whose visit to TSU in 2017, she said, paved the way for the March 14 visit.
“I am thankful to the entire team for organizing the visit, but I am also thankful to Maj. Gen. Wins who visited our campus several years ago and really talked about how we should engage more individuals with diversity of thoughts,” Crumpton-Young said.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is
Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban,
co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree
programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU
has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one
of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social
mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee
State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit
the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Tennessee State University Honors College recently hosted 31 high achieving students from Nashville’s Hillsboro High School as part of TSU Honors Week celebration.
Dr. Frances Williams, Associate Dean of the College of Engineering, holds a discussion with visiting Hillsboro High School students. (Submitted Photo)
The Honors College and Hillsboro High are partners in a two-year exceptional student acceleration program called IBDP, or Academy of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, that nurtures students to excel in higher education.
Participants in IBDP are top juniors and seniors who take advanced placement and honors courses in the 9th and 10 grades to prepare them for IB-level classes in the 11th and 12th grades.
Dr. Coreen Jackson,
interim dean of the Honors College, said the visit of the high school students
allowed them to interact and exchange notes with TSU Honors students, as well
as expose the visitors to the university’s programs and offerings.
“We are delighted to have these top students from Hillsboro High visit our campus and to interact with the best among our students,” said Jackson, who also serves on the advisory board of the Hillsboro High School IB program. “I think having many more partnerships like this with more high schools in the city would help to create a pipeline for increased enrollment into the myriad of majors at TSU.”
Visiting Hillsboro High School students take part in an exercise. (Submitted Photo)
Among activities
for the day was “Real Talk,” a panel discussion about college life and advanced
learning.
“Do you all have tutoring and personal help here?” a Hillsboro High student, who wants to major in biology, asked. Another was concerned about how honors students fit in and how they are viewed on campus. They were informed about the many tutoring and mentoring programs available to students, and the friendly learning environment on campus.
“I am from India, and
even though it was a huge cultural shock, Tennessee State University has made
me feel more than welcome,” said Abhilasha
Vishwanath, a senior psychology major and Honors student with a
4.0 grade point average. “I play tennis for the university, work in the bookstore,
I am part of several organizations, serve on the Honors Council, and I’ve never
felt out of place.”
Following the panel discussion, the students were divided into groups according to their academic career interest and dialogued with faculty and staff from engineering, business, liberal arts, education, and life and physical sciences disciplines. Everett Jolly, TSU director of recruitment; Kristin Gray, director of the First-Year Experience; and Barbara Kannard, coordinator for Student Success Initiative, also met and spoke with the visitors.
Barbara Kannard, TSU Coordinator of Student Success Initiative, talks to Hillsboro High School students about opportunities at the university. (Submitted Photo)
Dr. Kenyae L.
Reese, Academy principal at Hillsboro High, who accompanied the students, said
the visit was very rewarding.
“The faculty and
staff of the Hillsboro High School Academy of International Baccalaureate
Diploma Programme is delighted to partner with the TSU Honors College in
creating exceptional experiences for advanced academic students,” Reese said.
“The experiential learning trip to celebrate Honors College Week at TSU was
both informative and inspiring in scope. The students reported being most
excited to learn from the Honors College students and professors and other
professionals who provided valuable advice.”
Earlier, TSU
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. John Robinson, joined
Jackson to welcome the Hillsboro High School students.
“This is our time
to change the narrative, assist our recruiters, and utilize our high achieving
students to tell our story that TSU is truly the place to be,” Jackson said.
On March 26, TSU
will celebrate its best and brightest students when the university holds its
annual Honors Day Convocation in Kean Hall.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is
Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban,
co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree
programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU
has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one
of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social
mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee
State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit
the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Kayla McCrary
is an author!
Her children’s
book, “Dream Girl, Dream!,” with illustrations by Brandon Van Leer, just came out
and it is receiving wide acclaim.
“Writing has always
been my first love and it’s always something I wanted to do,” she says. “So
when I found the inspiration, I said I really want to write a children’s book.”
“Dream Girl,
Dream,” based on personal experiences, courage and an effort to inspire young
kids to be their best, comes amid personal tragedy and the need for strength to
move on.
Now a graduating
senior and president of the Student Government Association at Tennessee State
University, McCrary lost her mother in the first semester of her freshman year
at TSU. Her mother’s death also meant becoming the sole mother figure for her
then 5-year-old sister, Regan Christian. Devastated, lost and confused,
McCrary says she was torn between dropping out and trying to help her
sister cope with the aftermath of their mother’s passing.
“It was hard,”
says McCrary, an Atlanta native. “Losing our mother at such an early
age for my little sister, and me just starting in college, was
very difficult for me. She was our biggest support and friend. I thought,
how is my sister going to make it and how can I concentrate on school when she
needs me?”
Surprisingly,
McCrary says her sister showed remarkable resolve and strength that “shocked
me.”
“At the time
my sister was five and she was literally so strong,” says McCrary, who majors
in English with a minor in political science. “She is what kept me together,
and helped me get through a lot of things. Seeing her, I realized I had to be
the role model, and I had to raise her. She looks to me now. Everything I do is
to show her that if I can do it, she can do it too.”
Kayla McCrary says her dream is to become a renowned author, philosopher, attorney and humanitarian. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
Unlike McCrary, who struggles in math and does well in reading, her sister is the opposite. That parallel, she says, is one of the main inspirations behind “Dream Girl, Dream!”
“For me, growing
up, I struggled in math. Reading and language arts were my strongest subjects.
For her, she excels in math, but she doesn’t do too well in reading. I
think it is mainly because she just doesn’t like reading. So, I figure if I
wrote a book, she would be inspired to want to read it. And she has read it and
does have copies of it. Her reading has improved. Reading the book I think has
inspired her. She told our dad – Reginald Christian – the other day, ‘It’s not
fair, sister gets to have a book and a YouTube channel.’ So, I am definitely
teaching her how to go after everything she wants. I think she is getting it.,”
says McCrary.
With a goal of
pursuing graduate studies or entering law school after college, McCrary says in
addition to her sister, the book is about inspiring children, “especially
children of color, …and about the HBCU experience.” Her aspiration is to be a
world-renowned author, philosopher, attorney and humanitarian.
“Dream Girl, Dream!” is mainly a story of inspiration,” she says. “Sometimes in life you go through things that are just not expected, and a lot of things are out of your control. So I want them to know, ‘No matter what your current circumstances are, dream as big as you want to. If your dreams don’t scare you then they are not big enough.’ To some people, writing a children’s book may not seem like a big thing, but for me, it’s everything because I can’t believe I actually did it.”
Angelique Wells, a
junior psychology major at TSU, who has faced some difficulties of her own, has
read McCrary’s book.
“It is definitely a great read and inspiring,” says Wells, of Nashville, who has known McCrary since entering TSU. “Throughout Kayla’s hardship she still persevered and continued to go on and become president of the SGA and stay active in her college career. That is an inspiration to me because without knowing, she has inspired me to go after a few things. It is a great book. I recommend it to all ages.”
For Van Leer, a TSU graduate and local artist who did the illustration for “Dream Girl, Dream,” working with McCrary was a “professional fulfillment.”
“Kayla approached
me after school got out. I had never done a project like this before, but
knowing me, I was not good at saying no,” says. Van Leer, known for painting
likenesses of individuals like the late world-renowned heart surgeon Dr. Levi
Watkins, Jr., and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.
“I just wanted to
take on the project because I love Kayla’s story,” he says. “I love what she
was doing. We are both African-Americans, we are both at the same institution
(at the time) and we are just doing something positive for the community. Her
story was great, and it was a children’s book. You don’t really see that many
African-Americans working together. The story was touching and I was just
honored by it.”
“Dream Girl Dream!” is available in paperback on Amazon and Google Books.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is
Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban,
co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree
programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU
has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one
of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social
mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee
State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit
the University online at tnstate.edu.
