Tag Archives: high achiever

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Top Alabama Student Says Coming to TSU Opens Her to Opportunities Like No Other Institution

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – When Jahnari Edwards was considering a higher learning institution, Tennessee State University was not on her list, then five weeks in a summer program at TSU during her senior year of high school changed everything.

“That program got me hooked,” says Edwards, an agriculture science major from Phenix City, Alabama. “The atmosphere was so family like. My advisor and all the people in the program were so nice and encouraging. I knew right then TSU was the place for me.”

Jahnari Edwards

Last summer, Edwards was one of 21 graduating high school seniors from across the nation who participated in the very competitive five-week residential Summer Apprenticeship Program. From studies in understanding hypersensitive response of tobacco plants to comparing DNAs in chickens and Guinea fowls, participants in the program were exposed to real-world scientific work and cutting-edge research.

“The Summer Apprenticeship was so enriching; it exposed me to a whole new area of learning,” says Edwards, who gave up a tuition waiver to study broadcast journalism at Savannah State University. “I had the opportunity to go anywhere in Alabama for free, but I decided on TSU because of their agricultural program.”

Edwards, the youngest of three children, is the first in her family to attend a historically black institution. She came to TSU with a near 4.0 grade point average. An outstanding student at Smith Station High School, she graduated with high honors. She was the president of the senior class, and headed many other student organizations and initiatives.

At TSU, Edwards has not wavered in her pursuit of excellence. In her first semester, she earned a 3.8 GPA. She made the Dean’s List and is a member of the Honors College. She is also a member of Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences, Tiger Women in Agriculture, community service chair for Freshman Innovation Council, and is currently seeking a position in the Student Government Association.

Recently, Edwards was one of 10 TSU students selected to participate in a three-day Agriculture Future of America four-track program in Kansas City, Missouri, designed to offer college men and women different personal and professional development opportunities matched to their year in college.

Keisha Macklin Jeter is an outreach counselor in the College of Agriculture and an advisor to Edwards. She says that since participating in SAP, Edwards has “gone above and beyond” to demonstrate she values education and serving the community.

“Jahnari has excelled in the classroom while making community service an integral part of her higher education experience,” says Jeter. “Jahnari is an amazing student with a bright future ahead.”

Edwards, who wants to attend graduate school, says her future goal is to own a business part time and work for a major agriculture company. And she believes TSU will help her achieve that.

“I love TSU …the best HBCU in the land,” says Edwards. “I have gained a lot from being here and I have had a lot of opportunities that I feel I would not have gotten anywhere else.”

For more information on opportunities in the TSU College of Agriculture, go to http://www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/seminar_schedule.aspx.

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.

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High achieving sophomore seeks to help others obtain success, excellence

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – When she was in high school, Amiya Ingram motivated her peers to be successful. Come graduation time, she wanted to find a higher education institution that would do the same, and Tennessee State University won her heart.

“I felt the family-oriented environment as soon as I came to tour TSU,” says Ingram, now a sophomore. “I knew it was the place for me.”

Amiya Ingram

A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Ingram fully embraces TSU’s tagline: “Excellence Is Our Habit.” The mechanical engineering major has a 3.3 grade point average, and she’s also a member of the Aristocrat of Bands’ Royal Elegance Flag Corp. Her freshman year at TSU, Ingram was selected to be a member of the Ron McNair Scholars Program, as well as the Blue Scholars Entrepreneurship program.

She says what she likes most about TSU is the care and concern she receives from administrators and faculty. Despite their busy schedules, they make time to listen to students, to mentor them.

“I have a good relationship with my dean,” says Ingram, who is a former president of the TSU chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. “You get to have one-on-one relationships with people that are usually hard to get to.”

Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering, says there’s more to students’ “education than in the classroom and laboratory.”

“We hope to develop a more complete TSU graduate, one that possesses leadership skills, has a global consciousness and awareness, and technical competence,” says Hargrove. “Ms. Ingram demonstrates that educational journey as an engineering student, and we believe she reflects the mission of Tennessee State University … to Think-Work-Serve!”

Dr. Reginald McDonald, director of the famed Aristocrat of Bands, agrees with Hargrove, which is why he sends his students a motivational quote each morning.

“I want them to know that I am like them in that I had a lot of professors/teachers who took interest in me as a person,” says McDonald.

Ingram says she appreciates McDonald’s attentiveness.

“He treats us like we’re his kids,” she says. “He keeps my head up, keeps me going.”

Ingram says such attention by Hargrove, McDonald and others at TSU motivates her even more to do what she can to assist fellow students, like helping them find internships.

“I’ve had a few internships,” says Ingram, who will be traveling to New York City this summer to intern at Bank of America in global information systems technology.

“I like to help people find internships that match them, or research opportunities. I also try to act as an encourager for people.”

Ingram says she also enjoys community activities similar to the prom dress drive she initiated her senior year in high school.

“We basically got everyone to bring in their old prom dresses, and we gave them back to the community,” says Ingram, adding that such events also serve as a recruitment tool by “creating a personal relationship with individuals who are thinking about attending Tennessee State University.”

Ingram is among a new recruit of high achievers the university is targeting to attract the best and brightest students, since TSU raised its admission standards about two years ago. Minimum requirements for incoming freshmen went up from a 2.25 GPA to 2.5, while the ACT score remained at 19.

Ingram says she loves the changes TSU is making, such as recent groundbreakings that include construction of two new residence halls and a state-of-the-art Health Sciences Building.

She says she constantly boasts about the university because she wants prospective high school graduates to experience the “excellence” that she now does.

“Tennessee State University has been a stepping stone to success,” says Ingram. “I brought my hard-work mentality to the university and they provided the opportunity, and for that I say thank you.”

To learn more about TSU’s College of Engineering, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/engineering/.

To read more about the Aristocrat of Bands, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/aristocratofbands/.

 

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.

 

 

 

Alumni, Athletics, College of Engineering, FACULTY, FEATURED, GRANTS, NEWS, RANKINGS, RESEARCH, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Highly Sought-after Freshman Says Coming to Tennessee State University Changed His World

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Emmanuel Wallace had several colleges on his radar. But the top high school graduate from Memphis says a summer program he participated in at Tennessee State University changed his world, and he had no choice but to become a Big Blue Tiger.

“What brought me to TSU was my experience in a five-week Summer Apprenticeship Program that really opened my eyes to a lot of opportunities in agriculture,” says Wallace, a graduate of East High School, where he was a “distinguished honor roll” student and a student ambassador. With an expressed interest in studying civil engineering, Wallace received full scholarship offers from Vanderbilt University and the University of Memphis, just a few of the schools courting him.

Emmanuel Wallace

“First, I was considering majoring in civil engineering, because in high school I did a lot of engineering programs,” says Wallace, now a freshman at TSU. “But after talking with the leaders of the program, I concluded that agriculture would be a good fit for me.”

Over the summer, Wallace was one of 21 graduating high school seniors from across the nation who participated in the very competitive five-week Summer Apprenticeship Program. From studies in understanding hypersensitive response of tobacco plants to comparing DNAs in chickens and Guinea fowls, participants in the program were exposed to real-world scientific work and cutting-edge research. He developed a special interest in goat research after spending time with renowned TSU goat researcher, Dr. Richard Browning.

Wallace’s professors and mentors in the program say he showed remarkable ability and enthusiasm to learn.

“Right away we noticed how bright and energetic he was and really wanted to learn,” says Dr. DeEtra Young, assistant professor of agricultural and environmental sciences. “So through our mentorship, I think he fell in love with the new opportunities that agriculture provides.”

Wallace, a first-generation college student and the youngest of three children, came to TSU with a near 4.0 grade point average. He was the salutatorian of his graduating class, president of the National Honor Society, the senior class, and manager for the varsity boys’ soccer team at East High. He is currently majoring in agricultural sciences with a concentration in agribusiness. He hopes to go to graduate school and either work for the U.S. Department Agriculture or develop a business career in agribusiness.

Wallace was recruited as a High Achiever Academic Scholarship recipient. He is a Dean Scholar in the College of Agriculture, and a member of the Honors College. He also has memberships in the Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Science.

Recently, Wallace was one of 10 TSU students selected to participate in a three-day Agriculture Future of America four-track program in Kansas City, Missouri, designed to offer college men and women four different personal and professional development opportunities matched to their year in college.

According to Young, who accompanied the students, Wallace participated in Track I, which is the leadership track for freshmen.

“The program bridges the gap between academic, leadership and work experiences while helping students understand the impact of their decisions,” says Young.

At TSU, Wallace says his goal is to combine academic and leadership for student success.

“I plan on holding multiple leadership positions, inspire and motivate members of my class, and become a student ambassador for Tennessee State University,” he says.

For more information on opportunities in the TSU College of Agriculture, go to http://www.tnstate.edu/agriculture/seminar_schedule.aspx.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 8,000 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.

Alumni, Athletics, College of Engineering, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, GRANTS, RESEARCH, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU continues to attract high achievers; student accepted to 160 colleges and nearly $9 million in scholarships, to enroll

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (TSU News Service) – Jayla Woods, a recent graduate of Whitehaven High School in Memphis with nearly $9 million in scholarship offers to attend college, has decided to bring her talent to Tennessee State University.

Woods, who has a weighted 4.2 grade point average and has been courted by more than 160 colleges, will be a double major at TSU this fall. She said she selected TSU because the university offers the majors she wants to pursue.

Jayla Woods

“I have always wanted to attend an HBCU,” says Woods, who wants to become a sports dietitian. Her goal is to develop meal and diet plans for athletes. “I want to do a double major in nutrition and athletic training, and TSU will let me do that.”

In addition, Woods says she is a “huge” fan of the Tennessee Titans. Her cousin currently plays for the team.

At TSU, Woods will join fellow Whitehaven High School classmate Meaghen Jones, another highly sought-after graduating senior with more than $10 million in offers from 213 colleges. Jones announced in April that she plans to attend TSU in the fall.

Woods and Jones are coming to TSU on full scholarships.

TSU President Glenda Glover says it is no surprise that Woods and Jones selected TSU.

“Tennessee State University is a place with high standards for high achievers,” says Glover.  “More and more we continue to attract elite scholars who value the world-class programs and quality education offered here in a caring community of faculty, staff and administrators who are committed to excellence.”

Woods, like her fellow Whitehaven High classmate, is an academic standout with a number of local and national recognitions. She was a member of the student council, president of the National Honor Society, vice president of the National Honor English Society, member of Alpha Zeta Honor Society, the Science National Honor Society, and yearbook editor. She plans to become a member of the Honors College at TSU.

The only child of Vearnon and Jacquelyn Woods – both college graduates – Jayla says her parents have been the main reason for her success.

“They are the biggest influence in my life,” says Woods. “They push me every step of the way to be successful in everything I undertake. So, I guess I am trying to follow in their footsteps to be the best person I can be.”

Jayla comes to TSU as part of a millennial generation of high achieving students that the university continues to strategically recruit in its effort to improve retention and graduation rates. This comes on the heels of sweeping changes TSU President Glover announced in 2016 that raised admission standards to attract the best and brightest.

Following that announcement, the university launched a number of initiatives, including “Experience TSU” to attract the best and brightest students in four major markets – Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis and Nashville.

President Glover led the campaign to meet potential students face-to-face to ensure their commitment to attend TSU. For instance, Glover visited Meaghen Jones and her parents to “seal the deal” for her to come to TSU.

Terrence Izzard, TSU’s associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Success, is directly responsible for recruitment and admissions. He says “Experience TSU” was a way of “personally congratulating these students for applying and being accepted” to TSU.

“The goal was to personally welcome them to the TSU family and let them know of all the wonderful opportunities to grow and learn while here at Tennessee State University,” says Izzard.

Officials project more high-achieving students will be coming to TSU for the fall semester.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 8,000 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, 25 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.