FROM STUDY BUDDIES TO
FOREVER FAMILY FSU HIGHER EDUCATION’S
“COCOA SCHOLARS” By Jennie Kroeger Students have formed study groups for about as long as formalized education has been around. Having fellow students in the same proverbial boat as you can serve as a powerful network of support not only academically, but also personally. Some groups can create friendships that last long after graduation, but on rare occasions, some can even become family. This is the case of a group of recent FSU higher education program graduates of color known as the Cocoa Scholars. This team of eight includes Jhenai Chandler (Ph.D. ‘20), Jesse Ford (Ph.D. ‘20), Miguel Hernández (Ed.D. ’20), Sandra Martindale (Ed.S. ’20), Dawn Matthews (Ph.D. ‘20), LaFarin Meriwether (Ph.D. ‘20), Chandra Myrick (Ph.D. ’20) and Sophia Rahming (Ph.D. ’19). “Cocoa Scholars emerged out of several separate groups,” says Rahming, the driving force behind the group. “We tried out a few names, but in time we decided that Cocoa Scholars described us perfectly. At first, we only studied together, but then we started sharing more and more of our personal lives. One day we woke up, and without intending it, we were a family.” Rahming won the higher education program’s 2015 – 2016 Sherrill W. Ragan’s Leadership & Service Award for her “other mother” role in the group. “I would check on everyone’s progress, clarify assignments, prod, poke, encourage and praise (these became shouts) everyone toward the finish line,” says Rahming. “In short, they let me get in their business.” The group often looked to faculty in the program
for guidance and direction—particularly Dr. Tamara Bertrand Jones, associate professor of higher education. “Dr. Bertrand Jones was our de facto advisor and mentor,” says Rahming. “We went to her for every concern, every triumph, every doubt, and when we needed guidance about what road to take.” Bertrand Jones took on this responsibility willingly. “As a faculty member, my role in the academy is to create a supportive environment for all students,” she says. “My personal commitment is to provide a safe place for students and to help them navigate higher education. As a Black faculty member, my commitment extends to helping students of color thrive personally and professionally.” We spoke to the scholars to learn more about what their experience in the group meant to them. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT A MEMORABLE MOMENT YOU HAD AS A MEMBER OF THE GROUP. Jhenai Chandler (JC): We share so many memorable moments, but what is most memorable is witnessing my daughter become more ambitious about school when she attended Cocoa Scholars’ study successions and events. As a mom I was always conflicted about spending time away from home to study or work on papers, but this group always welcomed my children and planted seeds for greatness in their lives. They helped with homework and provided social support for my daughter. At the start of the program, Madison was about eight years old. Now at 13 years old, I can see how she applies what she observed at our study