Tag Archives: speakers

Motivational speaker ignites triumph over adversity for TSU students

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Cassandra Brown covers herself with a ‘coat of gratitude’ every morning after surviving a shooting incident in 2021. As a result, the Memphis native was left partially paralyzed. The life-altering tragedy took place just a week before Brown was to return for her junior year at Tennessee State University. Despite the challenges, she returned to study agricultural business this past fall with guidance from TSU’s Office of Disability Services (ODS).

Fast forward to a recent campus event that Brown says was a pivotal moment in her journey. The event was sponsored by ODS and featured motivational speaker Timothy Alexander.

TSU student Cassandra Brown, left, and motivational speaker Timothy Alexander, takes a photo together shortly after Alexanders speech at TSU.

“Where you come from doesn’t predict the person you will become,” Brown said with high emotions. “And after hearing speech his, I knew I wasn’t alone.”

Alexander and the TSU student share a similar story. Alexander had hopes of a career in the NFL, until a car accident that initially left him paralyzed from the neck down at 17 years old. But he didn’t give up on himself. He emerged as a beacon of hope, becoming an inspirational speaker and author. He dedicated his life to inspiring others with his story of resilience and triumph over adversity.

“From adversity to achievement,” Alexander, a Birmingham Alabama native, shared his heartwarming story.  Once ranked the #8 best high school football player in Alabama, he defied the odds.

“My education, my experience, my research put me in roles that I never thought I would be in,” Alexander said.

Timothy Alexander, right, interacts with students after telling an inspiring story about his journey that led him to becoming a motivational speaker.

“You don’t need it to be easy. You just need it to be possible,” he told the crowd.

Alexander graduated from Wallace State Community College and went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). In 2017, he stood up and walked independently at UAB for the first time since his paralysis in 2006.

“I was the first paraplegia in D1 history to ever receive a full ride for football and I never touched the field. I never made a play.”

The car wreck also caused a traumatic brain injury that demanded a journey of relearning how to walk and think.

“Never forget where you come from but be reminded of how far you’re going.”

Dozens of athletes in attendance resonated with Alexander’s story. Louise Ratiu, a TSU tennis player from Liege, Belgium, said she appreciated the underlying message of Alexander’s speech.

TSU Tennis players Louise Ratiu, left, and Sydni Lollar express gratitude for Alexander’s inspiring story and resilient mindset, regardless of any setbacks.

“I really liked the way he underlined that no matter how hard life gets, anything is possible if you are willing to do what is necessary to get there,” Ratiu said. “And I think it’s something really important mostly as athletes to keep fighting no matter how hard it gets.”

Dr. Anita McGaha, the director of the Office of Disability Services (ODS) said the office was proud to collaborate with the Academic Career Pathways and Partnerships office, directed by Dr. Antoinette Duke, to bring Alexander’s motivational narrative to TSU.

“His motivational narrative struck a chord with both our students and our staff on a profound level,” McGaha said.

“There are no limits to what a person can accomplish. Alexander reminded everyone in attendance that, ‘it’s not what you go through but what you grow through.'”

Dr. Anita McGaha, left, Timothy Alexander, center, and Dr. Antoinette Duke.

Alexander’s message served as a universal lesson for all TSU students, regardless of their abilities.

“It’s you, that can make a difference,” he said.

“If you want to measure what life is going to bring you, you’ve got to measure it by what you gave. Good measure.”

During his speech Alexander expressed his appreciation for his first visit to TSU and the university’s motto, “Think Work Serve,” and how it resonates with his journey. As he concluded, he was extended an invitation to apply for a doctoral program by interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, Dr. Robbie Melton.

National Medical Association President, Dr. Edith P. Mitchell, Former U.S. Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., to give spring commencement addresses at TSU

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The President of the National Medical Association, Dr. Edith P. Mitchell, and Former U.S. Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., will be the keynote speakers at Tennessee State University’s spring commencement ceremonies.

Mitchell, a retired Air Force brigadier general, will speak at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 6, at the graduate commencement in the Gentry Complex. Ford will address the undergraduate class at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 7, in Hale Stadium.

More than 1,300 undergraduate and graduate students will receive degrees in various disciplines.

“I congratulate all of our graduates and wish them the very best as they enter a new and exciting chapter of their lives,” said TSU President Glenda Glover. “Commencement is an exciting time for the university because it highlights the academic achievement of our students and the commitment of faculty and staff in their educational and social development. TSU students are prepared to work and serve in the global marketplace.”

Mitchell, a 1969 TSU graduate with a B.S. degree in Biochemistry, is Clinical Professor of Medicine and Medical Oncology, and Program Leader in Gastrointestinal Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University. She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Medical Association, the National Medical Association, Aerospace Medical Association, Association of Military Surgeons, and the Medical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Last year, she was elected president of the NMA, the nation’s oldest professional society for African-American physicians.

In addition to her medical achievements, the retired brigadier general served as the Air National Guard Assistant to the Command Surgeon for U.S. Transportation Command and Headquarters Air Mobility Command at the Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. In this capacity, she served as the senior medical Air National Guard advisor to the command surgeon and was the medical liaison between the active Air Force and the Air National Guard.

Ford, a five-term former member of Congress from Tennessee, was chair of the Democratic Leadership Council. He served on the Financial Services and Budget Committees and worked to balance the budget and promote free enterprise for the House Blue Dog coalition, the organization that gave then Governor Bill Clinton his start in national politics.

As president, Clinton once referred to Ford as “the walking, living embodiment of where America ought to go in the 21st century.” Ford is a longtime supporter of small and mid-size businesses, as well as a staunch advocate for fiscal and economic reform. Since leaving office in 2007, he continues to work diligently to promote healthy non-partisan debate on today’s most pressing issues.

Currently, Ford serves as a political analyst and contributor for CNBC and MSNBC, and a professor of public policy at the New York University Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Research
Matthew Edwards is graduating from TSU with a degree in Agriculture. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

Matthew Edwards is among the undergraduates who will receive their degrees on May 7. He said he’s glad TSU invited Mitchell and Ford to speak, and he believes they will inspire students to continue to strive for success beyond college.

As for his experience at TSU, Edwards said the university has faculty and administrators who really care about students’ success. He said TSU officials provided him with resources to overcome some hardships when he transferred from another university, and he encourages high school graduates to consider TSU as an option for getting a higher education.

“They transferred all the credits, made sure everything was set, and provided me with a work-study scholarship,” said Edwards, who is getting a degree in Agriculture. “I went from not having a place to go, to having a place to call home and a nice steady job in an area that I liked.“

Department of Media Relations

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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.