Living The HBCU Experience

My HBCU Experience at Harris-Stowe State University

Saint Louis, MO – Christopher Miller

When the time came for me to select the college or university I wanted to attend, I knew it had to be a historically black college and university (HBCU). I grew up listening to my uncle’s stories about his HBCU experiences and that encouraged me to be part of a significant traditional legacy. I began to conduct an in-depth analysis of the purpose of HBCUs, the things you can accomplish at an HBCU, and how they are prominent in our communities.

Once I arrived at Harris- Stowe State University (HSSU) in fall 2008, I realized it was one of the best decisions of my life. During new student orientation, university officials explained to us how college is what you make it, and we are a part of something great. I began to get involved in numerous organizations, participate in activities, and attend campus events. This immediately sparked a growing pride in my institution.

Through hard work and determination, I interacted with student peers and acquainted myself with administration, faculty, and staff. Exposure to networking and other professional skills gave me the opportunity to become one of the top Student Ambassadors representing HSSU at local and national events. I spoke at forums and on panels and traveled to places supported by my HBCU. The most memorable trip was to Washington, D.C. to advocate for the importance of HBCUs.  My university makes sure to send students on conferences that focus on HBCUs to expose them to more professional career choices in corporate America.  National Association for Student Affairs Professionals (NASAP) is a week-long conference which helps train student leaders at HBCUs and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI). Other students and I attended this conference and gathered a great deal of information to bring back and implement at our university. The connections made with other students who attend great institutions offers you the sense of family.

The family and historic atmosphere is evident when you step foot on an HBCU campus. If it were not for my Harris-Stowe family, I would not be where I am today. They assist many academically, socially, and personally. The support gives you a charge to carry the torch for future leadership. HBCUs do more than teach you the material in the books. They prepare you for the world at hand. With the support of my fellow students, faculty, staff and administration, I ran for the position of “Mr. Harris-Stowe State University 2011-2012,” and my election to the position fueled my drive, determination, and passion for my institution and HBCUs. Harris-Stowe State University has done so much for me, and I am honored to represent such an illustrious university.

With all of these blessings and opportunities given to me, I will never forget where I came from. My relationship with Christ has given me strength through the hard times and my HBCU has been there with me through it all. I’m not saying there weren’t days were everything seemed like a struggle, but with my Harris-Stowe family I surpassed those storms. HBCUs give you more than just an education; they give you the keys to your future and a helping hand to open that door. They give you the support and love that can push you to achievements you never thought you could reach.

My First Semester

Pine Bluff, Arkansas – Precious Taylor

The first semester in college is challenging and sets the tone for the rest of your college career. In fact, many studies have shown that the first semester of  undergraduate  school usually indicates how well you are going to do for the following seven academic semesters. During my first semester  at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff , I was placed in several predicaments that required me to think and act assertively. Although these experiences might have sometimes  challenged the status quo, I learned very quickly just how important it is to focus and keep my eyes on the prize at all times.

Despite growing up very sheltered  as my parents’ only girl, I was determined not to allow my sheltered childhood to  prevent me from having the full collegiate experience. For instance, when I first arrived on campus, I was elated to join the Speech and Debate team as I had done in high school.  But, after I attended one of the meetings and noticed just how different collegiate debate was compared to high school debate, I was overwhelmed and decided to wait until  the following semester to try out for the team. Once I made the decision to delay joining  the debate team,  I  decided to continue my search for at least one extracurricular activity that I would enjoy. After I searched for almost a month, I was elected freshmen class senator.

After I secured my extracurricular activity, I then focused on my academics. Because I was well informed about the recommended  12-hour course load for a  freshmen student, I had  enough time in my schedule  to get adjusted to life away from  home.  College courses compared to  high school were relatively similar with the exception of  an increased workload and  higher expectations from the instructors. The teachers in high school were genuinely concerned about whether or not students passed their courses with a decent grade. In contrast, professors in higher education do not have the time to coddle students or to make sure he or she is passing the course. The grade of a student is simply up to them. After I deciphered the difference between the two environments, I was able to determine that if I wanted to earn my  degree by 2015, it was up to no one but me.

Aside from the academic lessons that I acquired during my first semester, I also learned the importance of time management and prioritizing. Once I developed a unique system of scheduling and time management, I was then able to successfully complete my assignments without stress and disorganization. Among all the lessons I learned during my first semester, the greatest is that success is never given it is earned.

Cultural Sustenance

Saint Louis, MO – Kamron Taylor

I vigorously contemplated my future at an HBCU, particularly after attending my elite high school, in which I was part of a small minority. I still deliberated this idea even with my triple-legacy status in the Atlanta University Center. The slight negativity emanating from my advisors and classmates made it even harder to come to a definitive decision. And yet, I had heard it would be the “cultural experience of a lifetime; the chance I would never get to relive.” When I finally made it to Spelman College, there existed a certain mystique that nobody could have adequately described. Maybe it was simply the realization that I had made the right decision, but the unmistakable magic about the campus was unavoidable. I became curious of why this campus could elicit such perplexing emotion.

At New Students Orientation, I began to receive some answers. They said coming to Spelman college is a choice to change the world. Whether it is through service, communication, leadership or academics, Spelman strives to inspire social change with its focus on empowering young African American women.  This proclamation, laid testament to the idea that HBCUs, while boasting their high acceptance rates, wont lower their standards to cater to marginal effort and academic focus. Students, no matter their academic background, are forced to raise their personal bar in order to live up to the Spelman mission and the mission of HBCUs in general.  This is what makes them unique and priceless. The deans talked about the ways in which HBCU’s cater to a person in their entirety: academically, physically, socially, spiritually and emotionally. After having successfully completed one semester, I am living testimony of the ways in which HBCUs can foster growth in areas typically overlooked by other colleges and universities.

At Spelman, students are required to take African Diaspora and the World, an African-American studies class designed to illustrate the sophistication and civility of African culture before European uprising. Students learn about how Africans had advanced forms of government, education and architecture before enslavement, and how the physical act of slavery was the action of dehumanizing and demobilizing and entire culture. And yet, Spelman’s African emphasis spans broader than this mandatory class. All classes feature influential African American women in their infrastructure so that students gain a cultural understanding in classes relative to their majors. Even in golf class, I had to study the accomplishments influential African-American female golfers. This is an academic feature that broadens our scope of learning and provides enlightenment in an entirely additional form. This is an academic aspect specific to HBCUs, and I find this aspect of teaching provides students with a different form of education that fosters empowerment and confidence to students on campus.
And still Spelman is a family. It caters to a facet of ones individuality that builds them up and molds them into a well-rounded individual. It’s often said; “It takes a village to raise a child,” and Spelman is precisely the community that fosters education in every aspect of ones personality. Spelman is the village that has started to mold and modify my worldview. Spelman and other HBCUs strive to challenge their students in critical ways that would otherwise go untouched, and for this I am thankful.

I love my HBCU. The cultural experience is one of the most profound I hope to ever experience. The feeling of being among the majority of young African-American women striving to reach success cannot be replicated. I often hear that Spelman College, among other HBCUs, are examples of black excellence. After experiencing a HBCU first hand I am forced to say that they embody excellence, period. They undoubtedly provide students with a powerful cultural setting that a student such as myself had always yearned for in earlier schooling. Spelman caters to me and feeds me with the social and cultural nutrients I went without in high school. Being here has improved my confidence and increased my willingness to compete among the multi-cultural masses. That’s special.