Tag Archives: white house initiative

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White House Initiative Names TSU Student 2018 HBCU Competitiveness Scholar for Academics, Leadership

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A top Tennessee State University student with dreams to change his Kentucky neighborhood has been named a 2018 HBCU Competitiveness Scholar by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Jailen Leavell, a sophomore mass communications major with a concentration in broadcast journalism, will serve as an ambassador of the White House Initiative by providing outreach and communication with his fellow students about the value of education and the Initiative as a networking resource.

Jonathan M. Holifield, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs, right, congratulates Jailen Leavell in Washington, D.C. (Submitted Photo)

Selected for his accomplishments in academics, leadership and civic engagement, Leavell was among 63 undergraduate, graduate and professional students chosen from 54 HBCUs. They were recognized for successfully preparing to “compete for top opportunities that improve long-term outcomes.” Each student was nominated and endorsed by their institution’s president.

Leavell, the third TSU student selected by the White House Initiative in the last five years, is a member of the TSU Honors College with a near 3.6 grade point average. He is also president of the sophomore class.

“We are very excited to learn of Jailen Leavell’s selection as a White House 2018 HBCU Competitiveness Scholar,” said Dr. Alisa Mosley, interim vice president for Academic Affairs. “Mr. Leavell is a very engaged student who exemplifies academic excellence. He is engaging in national dialogue about promoting peace as a fellow with the Youth Violence Prevention Research Center, and as a proactive member of our Student Government Association.”

According to a release from the White House Initiative, Leavell and his fellow Competitive Scholars will serve for one year, during which they will learn and share “proven and promising practices that support individual and HBCU competitiveness, with the goal of strengthening prospects for career and life success.”

Leavell grew up in West Louisville, Kentucky, with high crime, violence and poverty. He wants to change that. He calls the White House honor “a representation of me, my community and my environment.”

“Growing up in West Louisville, the narrative is, ‘You will not make it outside of Louisville,’ and going after this award is all part of my effort to change that,” said Leavell, who grew up about eight blocks from the boyhood home of the late boxing champion Mohammad Ali.

“If Mohammad Ali can grow up eight blocks from me and become the greatest of all time and …change the world, I can do that eight blocks down the road. I love Louisville. I just have a lot of pride in my city and ultimately I just want to change it, with black people doing positive things, black businesses flourishing, stopping violence and just changing the narrative.”

Leavell thanked TSU President Glenda Glover for recommending him, and Charles Jennings, director of the TSU Career Development Center, for helping him through the “rigorous process.”

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, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU Honors Student and Environmental Activist Named 2015 HBCU All-Star For Academics, Leadership

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Lauren Wiggins’ goal is to make sure recycling bins are in the rooms of every residence hall on campus.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Lauren Wiggins, a Tennessee State University senior Health Sciences major with a passion for protecting the environment, has been selected a 2015 HBCU All-Star by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She was selected for her accomplishments in academics, leadership and civic engagement.

Wiggins, an Atlanta native with a 3.7 GPA, was among 83 All-Stars selected from more than 450 undergraduate, graduate and professional students who completed applications, transcripts, resumes, essays and letters of recommendations for consideration. The students represent 70 HBCUs from across the nation.

The All-Stars will serve as ambassadors of the White House Initiative providing outreach and communication with fellow students about the value of education and networking resources. Through social media and relationships with community-based organizations, the All-Stars will also share “proven practices” that support opportunities for young people to achieve their education and career potential, according to a White House release.

“As an All-Star I feel the White House Initiative saw something in me that I can use to further my university,” Wiggins said. “I love TSU and I have a great desire to do everything possible to promote the need for a clean environment.”

In announcing Wiggins and her fellow All-Stars, the White House Initiative said “the Obama administration is committed to promoting excellence, innovation and sustainability across our nation’s HBCUs.”

“This year’s class of All-Stars has distinguished themselves as exemplars of the talent that HBCUs cultivate and noble ambassadors of their respective institutions,” said Ivory A. Toldson, WHIHBCUs’ acting executive director. “We are confident these impressive students will help the White House Initiative on HBCUs meaningfully engage with students, showcase their talent and advance our agenda to further academic excellence at HBCUs.”

Wiggins, whose musical talents led her to a full scholarship at TSU, switched majors to a concentration in Public Health with a minor in International Affairs. She developed an interest in the environment following a National Student Exchange program that took her to Towson University for a semester in 2013.

“This experience propelled my interest in the environment and provided a gateway to opportunities for advocacy,” she said. Since then, Wiggins has interned with the global environmental group, Greenpeace USA, during which she published an article, “Human Rights Abuses in the Seafood Supply Chain.” Currently, Wiggins serves as an executive member for Diversity Outreach for the Sierra Club of Middle Tennessee and recently completed an internship at the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation in New Hampshire to study people’s perceptions of ecosystem services.

In addition to her environmental work, Wiggins is a residence assistant in Ford Hall at TSU. Her goal is to make sure recycling bins are in the rooms of every residence hall on campus.

“Recycling bins are currently in the halls in general areas like the first floor reception area or outside the front door, but I actually want to make sure they are in the rooms to be sure students recycle,” said Wiggins, who is seeking ways to fund her project. “I feel fortunate to be an HBCU All-Star and use that as a platform to advance my cause.”

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.