HBCU EXPERIENCE
I am a product of two HBCU alumni. My parents both met and graduated from the wonderful Fayetteville State University located in Fayetteville, NC. At a young age, I was exposed to the PRIDE one has for their institution that caters to those just like you.
I have the fondest memories of every year attending FSU Homecoming Parades. The thing I remember most about it is the JOY and EXCITEMENT that the crowd shared while celebrating the achievements of students and Alumni.
As I grew older I know that I was going to attend an HBCU the only issue was which University I would end up choosing to nurture me for the next four years. I say nurture because that is what an HBCU does to its students. Historically Black College and Universities is the pillar for the black community and proof of the excellence we can achieve under all the scrutiny we have endured.
The Search for Greatness
In my search for the best choice, I decided to do research of all HBCUs in the United States and from there who had the better program. I also factored in how close I wanted to be to my family or if I would just stay home and attend Fayetteville State University like my parents.
After careful consideration, FSU became the last choice on my list due to the realization that family was too close and didn’t need them popping in whenever they felt like it. Then I debated on going out of state to attend Spelman College in Atlanta, GA but decided that could be too far if say an emergency occurred.
Other institutions were crossed out for various reasons but I knew I would end up at an HBCU and it would be the right choice for me. Finally, a decision was made and August 2009 I started my freshmen year at North Carolina A&T State University.
Growing up my parents would always tell me that college is the place that you will learn what you are made of. College teaches you things about yourself that you never realized to prepare you for the future whether in the classroom or from personal experience.
So to actually understand what my parents were talking about was very eye-opening after experiencing it first-hand. My time at A&T was the most challenging and rewarding experience that I will always cherish. While attending A&T I met new people from different walks of life and gained life-long friends in the process. It is very rewarding to find people that are on the same journey as you to break barriers and set standards, but also willing to advocate for your dreams also while trying to achieve their own.
Attending an HBCU instilled a love for the institution that can only come from gaining an understanding how far we as African-Americans have come and still have to go. HBCUs allow us to be among our fellow peers that are like-minded in the pursuit for comradery, knowledge, and excellence.
Read other #HBCUFriday Grad Quaniqua Miles story: “My HBCU experience was AMAZING.”