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Top-performing high school seniors commit to Tennessee State University

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Over 275 of the nation’s top high school seniors have chosen to enroll at Tennessee State University for the 2024 fall semester. These exceptional students, along with their families, made their commitments during Admitted Students Day on May 18 at TSU. Deja Milan Nickerson of Marietta, Georgia, and Alanah Ellis from Chicago were two of the students who committed to attend TSU for the upcoming fall semester as first-time freshmen. 

Deja Milan Nickerson (sporting her TSU Tiger T-shirt), a former drum major of her high school,  plans to play the clarinet with the AOB. She came to Admitted Student Day with her father, Emmanuel Nickerson, mom Latoya Freeman Nickerson, and younger brother Emmanuel Nickerson, Jr. (TSU Photo)

Nickerson, who will major in journalism and business communications, has a 4.0 GPA. The former high school band drum major received a band scholarship and is eager to join TSU’s acclaimed Grammy-winning Aristocrat of Bands, where she plans to play the clarinet.

“I am committed, very excited, and it’s an honor to be here,” said Nickerson, who, along with her mother, father, and younger brother, was among the first to check in on Saturday.

“I am excited to see what TSU has in store for me. We visited several schools, but when we came here, TSU just seemed to be the best place for me. In fact, the director of the AOB visited my school, and many of us tried out with the band and ended up getting scholarships.”

For Ellis, also with a 4.0 GPA, she will major in accounting. She cited the university’s reputable academic programs, the enriching HBCU experience, and the ideal distance from home as key factors in her decision. Additionally, Ellis has several relatives who are TSU graduates.

Alana Ellis, left, who will major in accounting, receives a welcome package from Veonka Sarr, Senior Admissions Associate, as her mother, Andrea Thomas, looks on. (TSU Photo)

“I am coming to TSU,” she declared. “I am anxious to get started. I heard a lot of great things about TSU, and I wanted to experience it for myself.” 

As the program kicked off, Deputy Chief Operating Officer Elmore Jones extended a warm welcome emphasizing the importance of starting the TSU experience on a positive note to foster success.

“We want to welcome you here today to make sure you start your TSU experience on the right foot,” Jones said. “We want you to enjoy college. For me, it was the best decision I ever made. So, I want you all to ask all the questions you might have. Get all the information you need. We want you to be successful. We have a lot of exciting things planned for you.”

Dr. Tasha Carson, Assistant Vice President of First-Year Students, admonishes the new Tigers, as Deputy Chief Operating, Elmore Jones, left, and Dr. Portia Johnson, Director of Recruitment, look on. (TSU Photo)

Dr. Tasha Carson, assistant vice president of First-Year Students, commended the students for their perseverance and welcomed them to a supportive community dedicated to their academic growth.

“I applaud you for persevering through middle school, high school, and now the decision to come to college,” Carson said. “I applaud your parents, and you too should applaud them for their support. At TSU, there are many programs and committed individuals who are here to help you succeed.”

 Dr. Coreen Jackson, left, Dean of the Honors College, and Holly Blakemore, Senior Scholarship Coordinator, speak to students and parents during a mixer for merit scholars, as part Admitted Students Day. (TSU Photo)

The day’s events included campus tours, program previews, information sessions on various student services, and a lively mixer for merit scholars hosted by the Office of Institutional Merit Scholarships. The events left a positive impression on students like Julian Kendrick from Champaign, Illinois, who expressed his conviction in choosing TSU, praising the culture and the welcoming HBCU environment that resonated with him.

“I like all I have seen today,” he said. “They heard our concerns and answered our questions. I love the culture. It is like family. I feel like I will fit right in.”

 Following the assembly in Kean Hall, the new Tigers and their families took in the beautiful weather and toured campus as part of the daylong activities. (TSU Photo)

Admitted Students Day, coordinated by the Offices of Recruitment, Admissions, and Enrollment, provided essential insights and interactions to ensure a smooth transition for the incoming Tigers.

Dr. Portia Johnson, director of Recruitment, emphasized the importance of addressing all inquiries before departing to equip students with the requisite information for a successful academic journey.

For further details on admission processes at TSU, prospective students can visit Tennessee State University Admissions at https://www.tnstate.edu/admissions/

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TSU’s admitted students urged to take the ‘next step’ and enroll

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Allison Bowen and Aysha Mack are coming to Tennessee State University this fall. The two academic standouts from Brewbaker Tech in Montgomery, Alabama, have been best friends and school mates from kindergarten through high school. They decided to stay together and go to the same college after high school but didn’t know where – until they visited TSU. 

Shaquille Dillon, Executive Director of Enrollment Services, congratulates committed students Allison Bowen and Aysha Mack, and their moms. L-r are: Dawneese Bowen, Allison’s mom; Dr. Monica Mack, Aysha’s mom; Dillon; Allison and Aysha. (photo by Aaron Grayson)

The two best friends and their moms, along with 400 other students and their parents, recently attended Admitted Student Day at TSU, where students who had applied, been admitted but had not committed, got a chance to learn about programs and offerings, as well as hear information about the value in attending the institution. 

“I am committed, and I am sure Aysha is, too,” said Bowen, whose older sister, a former Tigerbelle, graduated from TSU two years ago. “I like the things they talked about, like student activities, building character and great family atmosphere. That helped me to decide this is where I want to be.” Bowen will major in interior design.

Admitted students and their parents interact with Terrence Izzard, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)

Mack, who agreed with her friend about committing to TSU, said it is an opportunity to further solidify their bond.

“They said a lot of things that really caught my eye and made me want to come to TSU,” said Mack, who will major in nursing. “I am prepared to be here with my friend. I think that the bond that we have will help us to continue to motivate each other in college and through life to be successful.”

Bowen and Mack are not alone. They are among many who declared their intention to become Tigers in the Land of Golden Sunshine. TSU officials were on hand to welcome them and to remind others about the opportunities a TSU education offers, such as a great learning environment, career readiness, developing leadership skills, building lifelong relationships, and many others.

Hailey Terrell, of Flowood, Mississippi, is committed. She will major in Criminal Justice.

“Congratulations on being admitted to Tennessee State University. You are just a few steps away from becoming TSU students,” said Terrance Izzard, associate vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Success. “As an enrollment officer, I want you to know that the value of what you get from coming to TSU is huge; it’s beyond a piece of paper. It is a life-transforming experience that will get you career opportunities and upward mobility for you and your families, as well as allow you to discover who you really are.”

With Tasha Carson, assistant vice president of First Year Students, moderating different panels, presenters and program coordinators spoke about their own experiences as students and administrators, as well as answered questions on issues from how to present letters of intent to commit, to financial aid. Greeks and other student organizations also spoke about student life on campus and how it has shaped them.

Tasha Carson, Assistant VP of First-Year Students, welcomes students and their parents to Admitted Student Day in Poag Auditorium. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)

Elliott London, a graduating senior from Sumner Academy of Arts and Science in Kansas City, Kansas, who applied to more than 70 HBCUs, was impressed. He is coming to TSU.

“TSU has my major, a highly rated biology program, and I want to minor in music, and they have that too, plus all that I heard today, I am committed,” London said.

Caleah Childress, of Carnahan High School in St. Louis, who wants to major in nursing, came with her mom, grandmother and cousin, a TSU graduate. She is also committed. With a long history of TSU graduates in her family, Caleah’s mom, Tiffany Childress, said her daughter’s decision to come to TSU “was almost certain.”

Caleah Childress, left, a committed student, joins a long line of family members who have attended TSU. In the photo are her mom, Tiffany Childress, sitting; and cousin Erica McClain, 2008 TSU graduate; and their grandmother, Anita Wilder. (Photo by Davin Latikker)

“I love it that she is coming to TSU,” Tiffany Childress said. “She had nine acceptance letters. So, I told her I think she would benefit the most by coming to TSU. Her great aunt graduated from here and she tried to recruit everybody under her in the family to go to TSU. Her cousins graduated from here and they are all very successful people.”

Aliyah Holmes, vice president of Student Government Association, encouraged the admitted students to take seriously all the information they received.

Elliott London, of Kansas City, Kansas, is committed. He will major in biology.

“If they take it serious they will be successful here at Tennessee State University,” Holmes said. “Know that whenever you get here, this will be your home, this will be your life, this will be the school that will take care of you and nurture you to be the best you want to be in the future.”

Shaquille Dillon, executive director of enrollment services, is the coordinator of the Admitted Student Day program. He said four of the events are held each year with the “goal of getting you from admitted students to committed students.”

“We are very intentional about Admitted Student Day so that parents know what’s their next step to get their students from admit to commit,” Dillon said.

In addition to student organizations and representatives, panelists included Frank Stevenson, associate vice president of Student Affairs and Dean of Students; Dr. Johnny Smith, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs; Dr. Coreen Jackson, dean of the Honors College; and Lalita Hodges, coordinator of the Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. Institute.

For more information on admission, visit https://www.tnstate.edu/admissions/

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TSU’s Tasha Carson selected to present at the national conference on ‘The First-Year Experience’

Tasha A. Carson, assistant vice president of First Year Students in the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Success, has been selected to present at the 42nd Annual National Conference on The First-Year Experience in Los Angeles Feb. 2-5. Carson will present to higher education professionals who work with first-year experience and students in transition from colleges and universities throughout the nation.

Tasha A. Carson

Her proposal, “Begin on TENN: Why Your Welcome Week Matters,” is based on a preview of the TSU model she created along with empirical data on student engagement impact during the first week of college.

“I am very happy to have been chosen to present at this conference,” says Carson. “I’m proud of the work we do here at TSU and feel honored to share that good work with so many other leaders in this field. I am also extremely excited to represent an HBCU on a platform such as this that includes Big 10 schools and Ivy League institutions.”

The Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience provides an ongoing forum where higher education professionals share experiences, concerns, and accomplishments related to supporting student learning, development, and success in their first year of college.

This year’s conference is sponsored by the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition University of South Carolina, which supports and advances efforts to improve student learning and transitions into and through higher education.

For more information on first-year experience at TSU, visit https://www.tnstate.edu/orientation/