NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – The next time you shop at Urban Outfitters look for signs of TSU at the clothing retail stores. That’s because TSU alumna Faith Reeves has brought her creative touch to Urban Outfitters, where she designed an array of TSU apparel and accessories. Reeves graduated from TSU in spring 2022 with a degree in family and consumer sciences and a concentration in fashion merchandise. Her journey to the fashion industry began instantly after being selected as a 10-week buyers intern at Urban Outfitters (UO) just days before graduation.
Faith Reeves wearing TSU inspired hat and denim jacket she designed during her internship with Urban Outfitters.
“I was sitting in my dorm at the time, and I remember getting a call from a New York number,” she said, reminiscing about the call from Urban Outfitters. “Thank you, God, I was so emotional and really excited to be selected.”
The decision to apply for the program was influenced by one of her professors who saw potential in Reeves’ talent. The internship was a blend of design and research on the fashion industry and TSU history, she said. From concept to creation, Reeves and five students from other HBCUs designed exclusive UO capsule collections celebrating the culture and community of their schools. The proceeds from the UO Summer Class ’22 capsule collection support a donation of $55,000 to participating schools, according to their website.
Reeves’ designs not only showcase her alma mater but also landed her a spot in a campaign shoot featuring the products she designed. The products, including shirts, hats, jeans, and jackets, were upcycled with special details in honor of the Land of Golden Sunshine.
Faith Reeves wearing TSU-inspired Urban Outfitters denim jeans with patches of AOB photos.
Reflecting on the experience, the Springfield, TN native highlighted how she learned the ropes of buying and designing and applied it to her next opportunity. After her internship, she embarked on a designer apprenticeship in San Francisco with Old Navy for a year. Now, Reeves is in the midst of interviews, exploring opportunities that align with her passion. Reeves says the Urban Outfitters internship not only provided her with a platform to showcase her creative skills but also a chance to contribute to something meaningful for her alma mater
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – It was lights, camera, action as Tennessee State University was the site for an upcoming national Chevrolet commercial featuring TV Personality and actor Terrence J! General Motors representatives and a production team filmed commercial scenes on the TSU campus to highlight the 2023 Chevy Discover the Unexpected (DTU) Fellows, a partnership the manufacturer has with our nation’s HBCUs.
The commercial featured 10 journalism and marketing students from various institutions, showcasing the remarkable talent from the HBCU community. Terrence J, who is also an HBCU grad, serves as a 2023 Chevy DTU ambassador and expressed his enthusiasm for shooting the commercial at one of his favorite HBCUs.
“As an HBCU alumnus, I’m excited to be on the Tennessee State campus with the HBCU students of the 2023 Chevy Discover the Unexpected,” Terrence J said. “HBCU energy and sense of pride is unmatched as I watch these students unite to learn marketing and journalism driving their career forward.”
Chevrolet says the DTU program will support the next generation of journalists and marketers while enhancing their partnership with HBCU student talent through storytelling and content creation.
Charles Chapman, General Motors Multicultural Marketing Manager, said this is the second year Chevy Discover the Unexpected descends upon the city where the Annual National Newspaper Association convention convenes.
“We are honored and thankful to film Chevrolet content at Tennessee State University, exposing the DTU students to the only public and largest HBCU in Tennessee while showcasing the amazing history and architecture,” Chapman said.
While the students in the commercial were not from TSU, the campus was selected as the shooting location due to its scenic backdrop and significance as one of the largest public HBCUs in the country. However, Chevrolet’s DTU program looks forward to involving TSU students in the internship next year. The DTU program, in partnership with the National Newspaper Publication Association (NNPA), hosts a 10-week internship program for HBCU students, and TSU students will have the opportunity to join this esteemed program.
The DTU internships will take place from June 5 to August 11, commencing in Detroit with a three-day boot camp. Upon completion of the program, Chevrolet and the NNPA will award each fellow $18,000 between scholarships and stipends, totaling over $750,000 to date. TSU students can learn more about Discover the Unexpected and its opportunities at https://www.nnpa.org/chevydtu/.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Two Tennessee State University graduate students have been selected for the Tennessee Hospital Association’s (THA) Agenda 21 Internship Program. J’la Jenkins, and Bege Mallam, both public health majors, were among 12 students from schools across the country who participated in a 12-week, paid supervised learning experience for qualified graduate students in healthcare administration or a related field.
A native of Alabama, Jenkins, who is pursuing her master’s degree in public health, will intern at Vanderbilt Medical Center, while Mallam, who is from Nigeria, and also pursuing his master’s degree in public health, will intern at West Tennessee Healthcare in Jackson, Tennessee.
Jenkins was not immediately available to comment on her selection, but Mallam said he is grateful to TSU for the support he has received and honored to be one of only 12 selected to be a part of the prestigious THA internship program.
“I’m humbled to be able to explore the opportunities in healthcare and to experience the practice of what we learn in class,” Mallam said. “Thank you for the recognition, and here’s to illuminating a path toward a brighter future in healthcare!”
Mallam said his long-term goal is to engage in medical outreach and health interventions among marginalized communities. TSU College of Health Sciences Dean Ronald Barredo said the public health program continues to produce quality students who will go on to excel in the field because of opportunities like this provided by THA.
“We are extremely proud of the selection of J’la Jenkins and Bege Mallam for the Tennessee Hospital Association’s Agenda 21 Internship Program,” said Dr. Barredo. “Their selection embodies not only the mission of the College of Health Sciences in preparing tomorrow’s healthcare leaders, but also — and more importantly — the institution’s motto of Think, Work, Serve.”
Dr. Wendelyn Inman is interim director of the TSU public health program. She said she is extremely proud of Jenkins and Mallam.
“Tennessee State University is noted for producing outstanding leaders,” Inman said. “With the training Jenkins and Mallam are getting from TSU, combined with their experience from the Tennessee Hospital Association’s Agenda 21 Internship Program, they get to step into leadership roles.”
Designed to increase diversity in hospital executive leadership, the Agenda 21 Internship Program provides selected candidates with additional exposure, knowledge and skills, that prepare them for a successful career in the healthcare industry. Through close work with administrators and staff, Jenkins and Mallam will gain hands-on experience as part of their hospitals’ leadership teams.
“The Agenda 21 Internship Program has operated for 28 years with the mission of providing learning opportunities in Tennessee hospitals for students who are from minority and under-represented groups in hospital executive leadership.” said Karizma Whitfield, Agenda 21 program manager at THA.
Applications for the Agenda 21 Internship Program are accepted in the fall semester each year and students are placed the following spring with THA member hospitals for their summer internships. Learn more about the Agenda 21 Internship Program at https://tha.com/focus-areas/agenda-21-internship-program/.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – This summer Tennessee State University is providing paid internships for TSU students thanks to a partnership with Cheekwood Estate and Gardens and Regions Bank.
According to Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of TSU’s College of Agriculture, these internships are part of the college’s initiative to increase its number of student internships with industry partners.
“This is a great investment by Regions Bank in our students,” said Reddy. “We place a lot of importance on these internships. Historically, we used to send a lot of students to the different governmental agencies. Now we are branching out to a lot of industry partners. This summer we have almost forty students across the country in different organizations and companies doing internships.”
Reddy said Regions Bank is providing $25,000 this year for student salaries.
Daiva Wilson, a senior Agriculture major with a concentration in biotechnology who interned with Cheekwood last summer, said her experience at Cheekwood was eye-opening.
Daiva WIlson
“I’d never been to a botanical garden before, so just seeing the garden was a benefit,” said Wilson, who serves as an intern with USDA this summer. “Also, I was able to see how the gardeners work with one another. They actually create such a beautiful display for members and people who visit the garden.”
Wilson’s internship at Cheekwood focused on horticulture. She said she worked with the plant team and had the opportunity to experience the entire Cheekwood garden. She credits Dr. De’Etra Young, assistant professor of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, with helping her secure the internship.
“The TSU College of Agriculture is really big on students presenting their goals. We have the Dean’s Scholars Program, and students with a 3.0 or higher are partnered with a mentor, which is usually a professor who does research in the lab,” she said. “Dr. Young pretty much says if you are a dean’s scholar, you should have an internship every summer.”
Young said the Cheekwood internships focus on three areas: education, horticulture and aboriculture.
“The role that I play is actually recruiting students and then internally vetting them before we send them over to Cheekwood, and then Cheekwood has their own application and interviewing process,” Young said. “For me, I believe that the experience for our students is hands-on experience that compliments what we are teaching in the classroom.”
Daniel Shaw, a senior Agribusiness major from Lamar, Arkansas, said he enjoys being a summer intern at Cheekwood.
“I am doing maintenance at the garden, like weeding, watering and planting. Earlier on, we were transitioning from the spring annuals to the summer annuals, and we briefly started doing some plant identification for a daylily collection they have,” he said.
Shaw, who is also considering a career in environmental sciences and was introduced to the opportunity by Young, said he thinks the internship will give him leverage with future employers.
“It shows that you can be committed to something. Hopefully other people are going to be able to see your work ethic and put in a good word for you,” he said.
Shaw and fellow TSU student Jenna Jones, an education major at TSU, began their summer internships at Cheekwood in mid-May and will work through late July.
TSU students Steve Osborne (left), an Agriculture Sciences major with concentration in Environmental Sciences and Davia Wilson(right), an Agriculture major with a concentration in Biotechnology, with Cheekwood Plant Collections Manager Shanna T. Jones (center) during their summer internship at Cheekwood in 2018.
Although the Cheekwood internship has existed since 2017, it has had multiple funders. This year Regions Bank is playing an instrumental role in the partnership.
“Regions has longstanding relationships with both Tennessee State University and Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, said Senior VP and Regional Community Development and Partnerships Manager Latrisha Jemison with Regions Bank. “This is an ideal partnership that allows us to invest in a successful program with very talented students. TSU students complete the internship with workforce ready skills and go on to acquire employment in the horticultural profession.”
Reddy said TSU President Glenda Glover initiated the partnership.
“We have been sending out students as interns, and they have been paying the students for internships during the summer and during the regular semester for some time,” he said. “We are interested from an environmental perspective, with regards to botany and understanding the plants. From their perspective, it is for beauty and environment.”
He said faculty from the College of Agriculture have also played a role in the partnership.
“Our faculty have been trying to provide technical assistance on some basic things, like how to grow plants hydroponically, and how to take care of the ornamental plants,” he said. “So there are student internships and faculty support for the public who come to Cheekwood Gardens.”
Peter Grimaldi, vice president of gardens and facilities at Cheekwood, said the internships provide students with an experience that includes a combination of direct service, working in the garden along with Cheekwood’s permanent professional staff, and project-based work.
“Public Horticulture includes the full spectrum of horticulture, and the opportunities at our operation pretty much include bits and pieces of almost any professional opportunity you can seek out in the green industry,” he said. “The interns have been very impressive, the students themselves, and if they are in anyway a representation of the young professionals that TSU is sending out into the workplace and the community, and they are, then that’s something the university should be proud of.”
Grimaldi said the botanical garden plans to have two additional internships this fall.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University students are taking advantage of internships they hope will give them real-world experience to be successful in the global workforce.
The internships include positions with the U.S. Department of Defense, health care, education and engineering, to name a few.
TSU’s Career Development Center is among a number of job readiness initiatives that help to prepare students for the workforce. (photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
“I strongly recommend that all students complete at least one internship while matriculating through school,” said Tina Reed, director of TSU’s Career Development Center. “By completing an internship, students gain hands on experience while learning about their chosen industry.”
Reed added that students who participate in an internship, or some type of other experiential learning, are “more likely to receive gainful employment upon graduation.”
She said that based on a small sampling, 50 percent of TSU students who complete internships while in school receive employment offers before graduating, or immediately after graduation.
Isaiah Grigsby, a junior majoring in computer science, hopes that will be the case with him following an internship this summer in cybersecurity at Hospital Corporation of America, or HCA.
“It’s going to benefit me going forward because it gives me experience in the field I’m trying to go into,” Grigsby said of the internship. “The things that we do in school are just the theories, but actually going to a company and applying those theories, that’s what I look forward to.”
Business administration major Delveedra Davis, who is entering her senior year, said she hopes to stay with the U.S. Department of Defense when she finishes her internship with the department.
However, if she doesn’t, she acknowledges that the experience gained will be “invaluable.”
“You’re able to build professional skills, and make connections, that you’re not able to do in the classroom,” said Davis, who will mainly be working in the DOD’s human resources department.
Computer science major Alan Bond said it’s unlikely that he’ll be hired permanently after working at Fox Network Engineering and Operations in Los Angeles. But the 21-year-old senior said he plans to make the most of his internship in broadcast engineering.
“It would be nice to work here full-time, but for the most part, I’m just hoping to learn as much as possible,” Bond said. “As far as broadcast engineering goes, working in a major top five market … looks good on the resume.”
TSU takes pride in its programs that help students not only find internships, but seek to give them the best shot at success once they graduate.
The university recently received a $150,000 job placement grant from the United Negro College Fund Career to Pathway Initiative. TSU was one of 30 colleges awarded the funds intended to help students gain the knowledge, preparation, insight and skills needed to secure meaningful employment following graduation.
Tyler Kinloch, who graduated from TSU on May 7 with a degree in Aeronautical and Industrial Technology, said the Career Development Center and the university’s other job readiness initiatives are an asset.
“Being able to connect with the Career Development Center and taking advantage of all the services they provide – resume building, printing business cards, mock interviews, critiques – has helped to prepare me for the real world,” Kinloch 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 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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.
Donnie Smith, Tyson Foods President and CEO, speaks to students at TSU on Wednesday. (Photo by Rick DelaHaya, TSU Media Relations)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Developing corporate partnerships and relationships with industry leaders have been at the core of Dr. Glenda Glover’s vision since becoming president of Tennessee State University nearly two years ago.
This has included visits and talks with major corporations and businesses and invitations to their leaders to visit the TSU campus to see the kinds of preparations students are receiving to be ready for the job market.
“This is necessary not just because we want these corporations to give to the University, but it also helps to expose our students to industry’s best as well as offer them opportunities to develop job-ready skills through internships, cooperative assistantships, scholarships and employment opportunities,” Dr. Glover said.
President Glenda Glover and Tyson Foods President and CEO Donnie Smith meet with Tom Joyner Foundation scholarship recipients following the check presentation. From left are, Bria Monk, Tyson CEO Smith, Kourtney Daniels, President Glover and David Conner. (Photo by Rick DelaHaya, TSU Media Relations)
And today, TSU students received a good dose of exposure and lecture on corporate culture and leadership when the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tyson Foods, Inc., a $42 billion, Fortune 500 Arkansas-based company, visited and spent an entire day interacting with students, administrators, faculty and staff on the main campus.
Donnie Smith, whose visit also included the presentation of scholarships to three TSU students, in a partnership with the Tom Joyner Foundation, said his visit was intended to broaden existing relationship with TSU and explore areas in which student preparation in agriculture and science are more aligned with Tyson’s needs.
“We want to continue to build the relationship deeper by developing a streamline of talents that is suited to our company’s needs,” said Smith, who added that about 12 TSU students have interned at Tyson in the last two years, while another was fully employed with the company.
In a meeting earlier in Dr. Glover’s office with senior administration members, President Glover welcomed Smith and his team, which included Holly Bourland, Corporate Recruitment Manager for Professional Employment.
The TSU team emphasized that student preparation remains the main focus of the University, “because TSU wants to have a broad footprint” on industry by putting out students with job-ready skills, and Tyson could be a major partner in that area.
“Our students are involved in cutting-edge research in many areas of agricultural production and food security that could be useful to your company,” Dr. Glover told the Tyson executives.
“We are doing breakthrough research on our campus,” added Dr. Lesia Crompton-Young, chief research officer and associate vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs. “If you see the kinds of research we are involved in you will find that we are doing things that surely correlate with what Tyson’s needs are.”
A visit and tour of the University’s new Agricultural Biotechnology Research Building provided the Tyson visitors a closer look at some of the cutting-edge research the University officials spoke about.
“This visit is a great opportunity for us,” said Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences, following a meeting with the Tyson president. “We are trying to connect student and research to corporate needs because we want our research to be relevant to the market needs.”
In a gathering with Business students, the Tyson CEO spoke about corporate leadership, understanding the needs of “team members” (employees), and how to stay ahead of the competition.
“At Tyson we like to win, but for us winning is to make great food and helping those in need,” said Smith, adding that hunger relief is a major part of what Tyson does.
On corporate culture, Smith reminded the student about what he called his five “Is” and three “Rs.”
“To be successful you must have ‘integrity,’ be ‘intelligent,’ ‘innovative,’ have ‘interpersonal skills’ and you must be ‘inspirational.’ To achieve these, you must learn to develop ‘relationships,’ be ‘resilient’ and ‘result’ oriented,” smith said.
At a luncheon with Dr. Glover, along with her Cabinet and deans, the Tyson group saw PowerPoint presentations of offerings and programs in the College of Business, and the College of Engineering.
Prior to the presentations, the Tyson chief executive presented a check for $7,500 to Briar Monk, a senior Agricultural Science major with a 3.65 GPA from Little Rock, Arkansas; Kourtney Daniels, a sophomore Food Biosciences and Technology major with a 4.0 GPA from Chicago; and David Connor, a junior Agricultural Science major with a 3.42 GPA from Birmingham, Alabama.
The money, with each student receiving $2,500, is the result of a partnership between Tyson Foods and the Tom Joyner Foundation called the TScholars Project, to offer scholarships and internship opportunities to selected students majoring in Agriculture and Business at four historically black colleges and universities. The schools, TSU, Florida A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, were selected because of their proximity to Tyson company facilities.
According to the Interim Director of the Career Development Center at TSU, Tina Reed, each scholarship recipient will receive a summer 2015 internship at Tyson Foods.
Before leaving the TSU campus, the CEO also met with an array of students in different disciplines in Poag Auditorium, where he reiterated his views on corporate culture and leadership.
Other University officials who participated in meetings with the Tyson CEO and his team include: Dr. Mark Hardy, vice president for Academic Affairs; Jean Jackson, vice president for Administration; Cynthia Brooks, vice president for Business and Finance; Dr. John Cade, vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Support Services; Dr. Alisa Mosley, associate vice president for Academic Affairs; Robin Tonya Watson, assistant vice president for Institutional Advancement; Kelli Sharpe, assistant vice president for Public Relations and Communications; Laurence Pendleton, University Counsel; and Dr. Cheryl Green, assistant vice president for Student Affairs.
Also attending today’s meetings were: Dr. Millicent Lownes-Jackson, dean of the College of Business; and Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College Engineering.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 42 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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.
