FAYETTEVILLE STATE SPRING 2019 ALUMNI AND FRIENDS MAGAZINE
UNIVERSITY
24 | College of Business and Economics Named for Broadwell Family The College of Business and Economics, located in the Rex and Arunel Harris Building, has officially become the Broadwell College of Business and Economics.
Spring 2019
From The Chancellor
Dear Broncos and Friends, It’s hard to believe that another academic year is ending, and another is just around the corner. June 2019 will mark my 11th year at Fayetteville State University, and each is marked with continuous growth and advancements. One of the biggest achievements is the completion of “Campaign for Fayetteville State University: From a Proud Legacy to a 21st Century.” I am pleased to announce that the campaign exceeded its $25 million goal with nearly $27 million. This is a result of dedicated alumni and friends like you who want to see this institution reach the highest levels possible. Our students thank you for your scholarship support. Our next goal is to begin work on a campaign to increase the school’s endowment. As many of you know, an endowment is the lifeline of any institution and is needed in order to thrive and survive. A more formal announcement of this campaign is forthcoming. We were blessed to receive our first gift from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Educational Advancement Foundation who made a $100,000 commitment to FSU. They made the first installment to that endowment at their national headquarters earlier this year. You can read more about it in this issue of the magazine. This issue of FS&U also outlines many of the achievements of our students and world-class faculty. There is a story about one of our students who has captured the entrepreneurial spirit by launching his own sock line. Also featured is one of the first graduates of the four-year nursing program who is a successful nursing professional and is back at FSU as an adjunct faculty member. As you can see, FSU continues to do great things that make it one of the best institutions in this country. More work remains, but rest assured that with a dedicated group of faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends who work tirelessly every day, we are committed to taking FSU to heights never attained before. In the Bronco Spirit,
James A. Anderson Chancellor
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contents
Fayetteville State University’s official publication FS&U is published by the Fayetteville State University Division of Institutional Advancement. Address: 1200 Murchison Road Fayetteville, NC 28301 Phone: 910-672-1838
Chancellor James A. Anderson Editor Jeffery M. Womble Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications Associate Editor La’Won D. Williams Director of University Publications
Fayetteville State University is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students, or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, age, or disability. It is the policy of Fayetteville State University to create diversity among its student body by recruiting and enrolling students without regard to race, gender, or ethnicity. Applicants of all races, gender and ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to apply for enrollment. Fayetteville State University is proud to be a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina.
www.uncfsu.edu
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
SPRING 2019 ALUMNI AND FRIENDS MAGAZINE 4 Lorna M. Ricotta joins FSU as Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement. 8
FSU Alumna Jasmin Sessoms Joins Institutional Advancement Team
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FSU Student Takes Life of Adversity and Thrives
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FSU Alumna Serving As First African American Mayor of Troy, NC
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FSU Professor Visits Russia To Share Experience of Living With HIV
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Cotton Club III A Resounding Success
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College of Business and Economics Named for Broadwell Family
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FSU Band Director Jorim Reid, Takes BAnd to New Heights
32 Peer Career Coach Encourages Students to Seize Early Career Opportunities 35
Retired Army General Continues Purpose and Passion at FSU
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FSU Biology Students and Faculty Attend Focus Program at Georgia Tech
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FSU Professor Sees Life Through a Different Perspective
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A Murder Mystery on FSU’s Campus
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FSU Accounting Professor Holds 23 Degrees is an Author and a Martial Arts World Champion
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FSU Nursing Alumna Sees Program Thrive After Struggles
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FSU Chancellor Honored by the North Carolina Justice Center
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FSU’s Miss Alumni
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The Blue and White
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FSU Students Win Best Business Case Award from NASA
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Alpha Kappa Alpha Pledges $100K Endowment to FSU
We want to hear from you! Please send your comments to editor@uncfsu.edu. We reserve the right to edit letters received 1500 copies of this public document where printed at a cost of $5.16 per copy.
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Ricotta Joins FSU as Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement 4
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orna M. Ricotta has joined the Fayetteville State University (FSU) family as the new Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement. The appointment was made after a nationwide search. Ricotta, a native of Robeson County who resides in Fayetteville, has nearly 18 years of experience in Institutional Advancement. Prior to her new role at FSU, Ricotta served as Executive Director of the Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) Foundation, a position she has held since 2014. During her time at FTCC, she oversaw the fundraising initiatives relative to annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving.
The FS&U Magazine
Lorna M. Ricotta Joins FSU as Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement Before arriving at FTCC, Ricotta operated Ethos Creative Group, a special events, interior design, and gift boutique in Fayetteville. Ricotta served as Director of Alumni Relations at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Among her duties, she created, planned, and executed robust alumni programming including regional alumni receptions, reunions, Chancellor engagements, and a Legacy Program to recognize second and third generation alumni. She was promoted to Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at UNCP, where she served as a frontline fundraiser on the $4 million First and Ten Capital Campaign for Football. She secured the largest corporate gift at that time in the amount of $500,000.
events, and advancement services. She will serve on the Chancellor’s Cabinet, and collaborate closely with members of the FSU Board of Trustees. She will also serve as Executive Director of the FSU Foundation. Ricotta was appointed twice by the UNC Board of Governors to serve as a Trustee of her alma mater, UNC Pembroke, and served eight years. Ricotta earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance and a Master of Business Administration, both from UNC Pembroke. She currently serves on the North Carolina Humanities Council, the North Carolina American Council on Education Network of Women Leaders, and the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.
At FSU, Ricotta will lead the Institutional Advancement team that includes fundraising, alumni, marketing, communications, special
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Free to
GIVE
Benefiting
SCHOLARSHIPS • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • ART PROGRAMS • GLOBAL PROGRAMS. . .
GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
REUNION GIVING
From annual giving to planned gifts, from endowed scholarships to faculty chairs, opportunities for giving to Fayetteville State University are numerous. Your gifts support student aid, faculty research and facilities improvements. They also help programs such as honors, band and athletics. So, whether you’re a student, an established professional or about to retire, there is a giving option that’s just right for you to make a difference at FSU.
A class reunion is a great time for alumni to give back to FSU. Your reunion year provides an excellent opportunity to support the University in a way that is personally meaningful to you. Most reunion giving takes place over a five-year period which is the maximum number of years to fulfill pledges for endowed gifts, there’s no better time than a class reunion year to establish a fund and complete it by the next reunion. For more information please contact YaKima Rhinehart at yrhinehart@uncfsu.edu or 910.672.1287.
MAJOR GIFTS & ENDOWMENTS
Through the years, Fayetteville State University has adapted its curriculum and teaching methodologies to ensure that all of our students receive an education that allows them to be competitive in a changing world. Your investment in FSU helps to ensure that our university and our graduates are continually able to demonstrate strength and potential by sustaining major programs in nanotechnology, leadership and community development, logistics and transportation systems, and public health. For more information please contact Jalisha C. Pone, Associate Director of Development at jpone@uncfsu.edu or 910.672.1682.
ANNUAL GIVING
PLANNED GIVING
Funds received through the annual giving campaign are an essential supplement to Fayetteville State University’s current basic operating needs. Because support from the state has decreased over the years, annual gifts allow the university to renovate facilities, upgrade technology, purchase new equipment and provide student scholarships, among other things. Gifts to the annual giving campaign may be designated for a specific college/school/department or they can be unrestricted for use where the need is greatest. In addition, some employers match their employees’ charitable contributions. For more information please contact Jasmin B. Sessoms, Assistant Director of Development at jsesso3@uncfsu.edu or 910.672.1681.
Planned giving sometimes referred to as gift planning, may be defined as a method of supporting universities that enables philanthropic individuals or donors to make larger gifts than they could make from their income. While some planned gifts provide a life-long income to the donor, others use estate and tax planning techniques to provide for charity and other heirs in ways that maximize the gift and/or minimize its impact on the donor’s estate. Thus, by definition, a planned gift is any major gift, made in lifetime or at death as part of a donor’s overall financial and/or estate planning. By contrast, gifts to the annual fund or for membership dues are made from a donor’s discretionary income, and while they may be budgeted for, they are not planned. Whether a donor uses cash, appreciated securities/ stock, real estate, artwork, partnership interests, personal property, life insurance, a retirement plan, etc., the benefits of funding a planned gift can make this type of charitable giving very attractive to both donor and charity. For more information please contact the Division of Institutional Advancement at 910.672.2348.
STUDENT GIVING Some individuals give to FSU while they are enrolled as undergraduate and graduate students. The student giving program supports the annual giving campaign. Participation is optional, but those who do say they feel a greater sense of school pride that results in a tradition of giving that continues long after their matriculation at the university has ended. For more information please contact Jasmin B. Sessoms, Assistant Director of Development at jsesso3@uncfsu.edu or 910.672.1681. 6
CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION GIVING
Endowed gifts provide ongoing benefits for FSU by earning a market rate of interest while keeping the principal investment intact to fund future years of scholarships, or whatever efforts the donor sought to fund. In some instances, a percentage of the principal is allowed to be used each year. An endowment allows FSU to be less reliant upon volatile funding sources such as government and sponsored programs. Major Gifts and Endowments allow for donors to partake in naming opportunities, those who wish to make a gift in honor or in memory of an individual, may name buildings, rooms, scholarships, professorships, departments and programs. For more information please contact Jalisha C. Pone, Associate Director of Development at jpone@uncfsu.edu or 910.672.1682.
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Effective January 1, 2017, Fayetteville State University and the Fayetteville State University Foundation imposed a minimal fee on certain kinds of gifts made to these entities. All private cash gifts are subject to a five percent (5%) gift management fee.
Annual Fund: Supporting FSU’s Needs Now What is the annual fund? The annual fund is an essential supplement to any institution’s operations, and Fayetteville State University is no exception. This source of funding is used to cover the most urgent and immediate needs of the campus to ensure that our scholars receive the best well-rounded collegiate experience possible. Many of the gifts received for the annual fund are unrestricted, allowing FSU to address demanding needs according to our strategic priorities for optimal success.
What does the annual fund pay for? Donors have the option to restrict their support to a specific cause or purpose, such as scholarships or athletics or a certain program. However, unrestricted funds allow FSU to support things such as new equipment in the library for students to study, better resources in classrooms and labs for an immersive learning experience, historical artifacts and art pieces for students to expand cultural understanding, or updated features for campus security and beautification. The list of needs for unrestricted support can be extensive, however every dollar goes towards a critical necessity that will advance the institution’s efforts according to its mission and vision statement, offering students the best experience possible.
the interest earnings. However, the impact has contingency based on the size of the principle as well as the state of the economic market. The annual fund, though, runs July 1 through June 30 each year and allows FSU to take care of the pressing concerns as they come up throughout the year.
How does one support the annual fund? By making a generous donation to the annual fund, supporters ensure that a lack of funding doesn’t get in the way of students’ success. They say there’s power in numbers, and that is certainly true of the annual fund. Most supporters give regularly every year, but there is always a need to grow the number of supporters. Everyone may not be able to give a lot, but everyone can give something. When it all comes together, students’ experiences and lives are impacted and transformed by our supporters’ willingness to donate, year after year. Gifts are received online, by visiting www.uncfsu. edu/ia and clicking “Donate Now” or give on the go by texting the keyword FSU to 41444 on any mobile device. Checks can be made to Fayetteville State University with the memo note as “Annual Fund” and sent to: Attn: Institutional Advancement Fayetteville State University
Why is the annual fund important?
1200 Murchison Road
Because Fayetteville State University is a part of the University of North Carolina System, it is partly funded by the state. However, that is not enough to offer everything our students need to prepare them for their future. We largely depend on supporters (which ranges from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, friends, and parents) to fund a quality experience for every scholar’s success. Aside from state support, there are two general types of funding structures that FSU depends on: endowments and the annual fund. Endowments are the backbone of the institution’s wealth and is focused on long-term investments because FSU directly benefits from
Fayetteville, NC 28301 Every gift makes a difference and is greatly appreciated by students and faculty/staff alike. For more information on the Annual Fund, please reach Ms. Jasmin Sessoms, Assistant Director of Development, via email jsessom3@uncfsu.edu or phone, (910) 672-1681.
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FSU Alumna Jasmin Sessoms Joins Institutional Advancement Team
FSU Alumna Jasmin Sessoms Joins Institutional Advancement Team In an effort to increase the annual fund and alumni engagement, a new fundraiser has become a part of the Division of Institutional Advancement’s team. Jasmin B. Sessoms is a young alumna of the Class of 2014. The daughter of a first-generation college student, a graduate of FSU in the early 80’s, Jasmin knew that she would follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a Bronco. During her undergraduate studies at FSU, she was a scholarship recipient and talented singer on campus. Sessoms was active on campus with the University Concert Choir, The Supplemental Instruction Program, The CHEER mentor program and served as Miss Sophomore 2012-2013. Majoring in communication, Sessoms balanced her studies and the world of pageantry by competing in the Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated’s Miss Black and Gold Pageant and went on to win the North Carolina state title. Sessoms also became active in the Fayetteville community through volunteerism and won the Miss Fayetteville Dogwood Festival Pageant in 2013. Upon her accelerated graduation in December of 2014, she quickly entered the workforce as a public relations consultant for a boutique firm in her hometown of Raleigh, NC. After a few years, she moved to Washington, D.C., to transition her PR knowledge into the world of revenue management at Entertainment Cruises. When the opportunity presented itself to return to her beloved alma mater, Sessoms could not resist the chance to give back to the institution and purse a career in higher education. As the new Assistant Director of Development with the Division of Institutional Advancement, she is elated to inspire young alumni to give back to FSU with either their time, talents or treasures.
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“I am looking forward to celebrating the tremendous legacy and the unbelievable mark that FSU has left on my heart and the world.”
“At FSU, I received the tools to professionally and personally evolve into the young woman that I am today. My goal is to motivate all alumni to make a difference for our present and future students and support this renowned anchor of the Fayetteville community.” Spring 2019
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FSU Student Takes Life of Adversity and Thrives
FSU Student Takes Life of Adversity and Thrives
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t the age of 38, Don Serate has been through a lot. The pain, heartache, and challenges he has had to endure have taught him to be resilient, confident and to believe that he could overcome anything. As he runs his own business and also attends FSU full-time, that’s exactly what he is doing, and he’s doing it with amazing energy and a positive attitude. Originally from Harlem, NY, Serate faced a mountain of adversity from a
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young age. The oldest of three boys, Serate was raised by a drug-addict mother and was thrown into the foster care system at the age of 8 when his mother was murdered. “My mom was on drugs – cocaine and crack and was murdered in a drug deal gone bad,” Serate said. “As an 8-year-old black boy, it was hard to get adopted … it was one of hardest thing to do.”
After living in 21 different foster homes in four years, at the age of 12, Serate was adopted by a single white man, a Wall Street banker. His two younger twin brothers were adopted together but into a different home and they lost touch for 10 years. Serate’s adopted father, John Coleman, taught him about saving, investing, and owning his own business. “It felt good to be adopted … it was good to be stable for at least 4 years,” Serate said. “Being adopted by a man who was really about his career ... he didn’t have a wife but had a lot of women and I picked up on that … I struggled with trust and being faithful.” Serate suffered more loss when Coleman passed away in 1996. At the age of 16, Serate moved to yet another home, to be with his biological family, an aunt and uncle from his mom’s side in Augusta, Georgia. His life in Georgia was very different than the life he had been living in New York. Serate says he learned a lot of different traits from his father and his family in Georgia. “I learned a lot about the service part of life, cleaning,
and cooking when I went back to my people. I learned how to work hard and to work for someone, and to be a good person. From slavery, these were the jobs you grew up in – serviceability,” Serate said. “On the other side I was raised how to think logically. I was always taught through my dad how to move on my own, move logically, move without serving other people. I was just taught how to love yourself first, but from my auntie, I was taught how to love others first.” Serate finished high school in Georgia and enlisted in the Army where he served as a logistician. He rose through the Army ranks quickly, going from an E1 to an E7 in 8 years. “The Army was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was pretty easy. All I had to do was do what I was told,” Serate said. “I learned from a lot of great mentors on what to do and not to do. They helped shape me in a lot of adverse situations … I have been good under pressure since I was eight.” After serving in the Army for 15 years, which included seven deployments to Kosovo, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, Serate took an early retirement. His last duty station was Fort Bragg and he decided to Spring 2019
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stay in Fayetteville and go back to school. FSU Student Takes Life of Adversity and Thrives
He began working several jobs while awaiting his retirement paperwork. Serate knew that he wanted to go back to school to get his degree, and after looking around, he decided on Fayetteville State. Because of his life and military experience, he began Fayetteville State with 40 credit hours. He is currently at 91 credit hours and will graduate next spring. He plans to continue his education and get his Master’s in Public Administration. In his first year at FSU, at the age of 37, Serate became the oldest college basketball player in the country when he joined the FSU team. Serate, who is the father of four boys, Tyler, 14, Ray, 13, Jordan, 11, and Kyree, 4, could not play his second year because he gained custody of three of his boys. “I made a lot of grown man decisions as a child but God doesn’t make mistakes and now things are coming in to place,” Serate said. “I was raised by a single dad and now I am raising my kids as a single dad.” Getting his degree was not the only thing on Serate’s mind. His father had put the bug of entrepreneurship into his mind, and he knew that one day he wanted to start his own business. That day came sooner than expected. “At the time I was getting out of the Army and delivering pizzas, etc., I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I wanted to do something or sell something that I loved … not just for money,” Serate said. “I am a very fashionable guy and the logical choice that had low risk and high reward was socks.” From that, Success Socks by Don Serate
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was born. After researching the $7.9 billion sock industry, Serate found someone who happened to be selling their sock business and the last 300 pair of socks that they had. Serate purchased it, made connections in China, Thailand, and High Point, NC where the socks are made, and he got his business off the ground. Success Socks by Don Serate, Inc. quickly became a family business. He currently has two people on payroll and each of his three sons helps with the business with sales, packing, and shipping. Because Serate runs his business out of his home and the advertising and ordering is done through social media such as Instagram and Facebook, the overhead is really low. He began a program for his customers called the Success Sock Club where they don’t choose the style of sock they get, but it is a surprise. It has become very popular. “We make all kinds of socks … dressy, sporty, polka dots, argyle, different characters,” Serate said. “It has always been a profit, low-risk, high-reward business. The most challenging aspect is advertising but social media is huge. With our generation, you had to have a website, but with the current generation, they flip through some pictures on social media, etc., have the Cash App or Paypal, and that’s it. With that money coming in, you take and order what they need.” Serate plans to continue with his business until his oldest son turns 18 and can take over the business as he goes off to college. “I am breaking generational courtesies in my family. I never had options until I was adopted. So many young African American children are being told that they should go
to school so they can get a good job instead of go to school so you can own a company and work for yourself,” Serate said. Despite the adversity that Serate faced, he has never allowed himself to be the victim of his circumstances and has found a way to rise above the challenges. As a non-traditional student attending FSU, Serate loves serving as an older mentor to students and being able to be mentored by those at FSU. “FSU means everything to me, I am like the big guy on campus. I am a big mentor or a big brother to those who are 18 or 19,” Serate said. “I have done it already. I am still really cool because I can relate to them, their music, how they feel, etc. I am the piece in between, the cool uncle. They respect and listen to me. I speak truth. I tell them to get their education, get a job, and to stay focused.”
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Photo taken by Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
FSU Alumna Serving As First African American Mayor of Troy, NC Troy, North Carolina, located in Montgomery County, has a population of just over 3,000 people, and for the past 39 years, the town has had the same mayor. On November 6, 2018, that changed when Fayetteville State University alumna Sherri Allgood was elected to be the new mayor, unseating Mr. Roy Maness who served for nearly 40 years. Allgood not only upset the longtime incumbent, but she is also serving as the first African American to hold the title of Mayor in Montgomery County’s history.
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Allgood graduated from FSU in 2000 with a degree in Biology. She went into education and has been a teacher for the past 18 years. She and her family moved to Troy five years ago and as she got more involved in the community, she came to the conclusion that there were needs in the community that were not being met. “I decided it was time for a change. There was a major gap in resources being distributed evenly. We were seeing young people move away from the town, and that there were not a lot of opportunities here,” Allgood said. “The opiod epidemic has been increasing here. My husband is currently a pastor and has a lot of outreach that we do. Based on the resources, it is difficult to assist the way we want to. I wanted to help make a change, so I positioned myself to where I could help.” Allgood began her pursuit of serving her town three years ago when she got the idea to run for Mayor. At the time, the election deadline for her to add her name to the ballot had passed so she ran as a write-in candidate. That year, the incumbent received 238 votes while she received 117 as a write-in. This gave her the momentum and drive to put her name on the ballot in 2018 and run where she won the election by 13 votes. Allgood said that the race between her and Maness was a good and clean race. Allgood is proud of the campaign she ran and despite running as an African American in a small town that in the recent past has been the site of KKK rallies, she was excited about the diverse support and confidence she received.
Allgood was sworn in as Mayor on December 3rd and she began her duties the next day.
to help develop better programs that can help with the low-test scores in the county.
“The first thing that I wanted to give back to the community was a voice. I wanted to set up a platform where the community is able to speak and say what their needs are,” Allgood said. “I also want to be able to offer business support that is needed.”
In addition to her job as Mayor, Allgood is also working as a Student Advocate in Montgomery County and is working on her doctorate in Education at Liberty University. She hopes to become a superintendent of a school system someday.
Allgood is excited to serve as Mayor and is proud to serve her community. She credits her time at Fayetteville State with helping to prepare her for her role and confidence.
“My agenda includes giving a voice to the people. It’s not what I want, it is what the people want. If they give me the opportunity and the chance, we can move Troy forward and we don’t have to stay where we are,” Allgood said.
“Being at FSU was encouraging to me because as a young girl growing up in Montgomery County, I was usually the only African American in the class. I had accepted that I was not smart and ugly. I had this low self-esteem about myself,” Allgood said. “When I went to Fayetteville State, it was like I saw so many people my color doing phenomenal things and I was like, “Wow! I am able to do these great things as well.” It opened me up a lot. I had so many great experiences there.” Allgood and her husband have four children -- three boys and one girl and they have three grandchildren. She grew up in Montgomery County and lived in Wake County for a while before moving back to Montgomery County.
In deciding to run herself, Allgood said she considered what tools she had that could benefit her community and encourages others to take the same look at public service. “The thing is to be able to think outside of yourself and what is best for your community -- what is best for the people and if you have the tools that are needed in order to make improvements,” Allgood said. “We have to look beyond ourselves and say we are willing to share ourselves for the benefit of others and it may get ugly at times but at the end of the day when your motive is right, it is worth it in the end.” sherriAllgood@gmail.com
Allgood already has her sights set on another term as Mayor. She plans to run in 2020 to continue the work that she is starting. Her goals also include being a voice in the educational system. She wants Spring 2019
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FSU Professor Visits Russia To Share Experience of Living With HIV
FSU Professor Visits Russia To Share Experience of Living With HIV Fayetteville State University Professor of Art Shane Booth has been teaching Photography for 13 years. In addition to teaching, he uses his art of photography as a way to share his experience living as a homosexual man with HIV. Diagnosed 10 years ago, Booth has been an advocate for dialogue and education about HIV and has been open about his experiences so that he can help others living with HIV cope and find support. Booth also uses his own photography as a form of therapy and coping. Earlier this year, someone in the US Embassy office in Moscow saw his artwork and contacted him about coming to Russia to speak to some groups about living with HIV. This summer, he was able to visit Russia and share his experiences. Booth, who is from Nebraska, attended Nebraska Weslyan University and graduated in 1999. He attended Savannah College of Art and Design and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in 2004. Booth was diagnosed with HIV in 2008. He wasn’t surprised with the
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diagnosis because his boyfriend at the time became ill and learned he had the virus. The process of being diagnosed and learning to live with HIV was overwhelming at first. “I was 30 years old. I waited to have sex, and the first time I did, I got HIV. When I got diagnosed I had to be put on a list. It was scary at first. Case workers showed up to my house asking personal questions. I am very open, but it was still intense,” Booth said. “The process was really quick for me. I mourned for a week. It can kill you. It can knock you out and make you depressed and I didn’t want to be that person. I placed no blame on anyone else … I just dealt with it. I called my parents and told them and they were so supportive of me. I was able to pick up my camera and get the anxiety and negativity out.” Booth began taking more and more pictures as a way to process his feelings of being a gay man living with HIV. He also used his photography as a way to share and help others by opening the
dialogue. Booth did self-portraits as well as landscape photography and some of his photos ended up on the Internet. Nina Murray from the US Embassy in Moscow saw his work online and reached out to him about coming to Russia to share his experience and to work on a project together. According to the Russian Federal AIDS Center, AIDS and HIV infection rates grew at an average of 10 percent annually for the past five years. Russia has the third-highest number of new HIV infections in the world and many reports conclude that Russia’s AIDS epidemic can partly be attributed to the lack of education and stigma. “It began when I got a random email. It said, ‘Hey Shane, I like your work. I work with the Moscow Embassy … are you willing to do a project together,’” Booth said. “I emailed her back, but I thought it was fake.” It wasn’t fake, and Murray wanted to work with Booth to share his photos and for him to come and
speak to groups in Russia about being HIV positive. The diagnosis in America is far different than in Russia and she wanted Booth to speak about what it is like and how he has used his artwork as therapy and as a safe and healthy way to talk about it. Booth said that HIV is spreading in Russia partly because nobody
wants to talk about it. He felt that if he was able to open the dialogue and talk to people there about living with HIV, he could make a difference.
Murray and Booth were able to work out a plan and earlier this summer, Booth went on an 11day trip to Russia, paid for by the embassy. He spent time in Moscow and in St. Petersburg talking to different groups. He was originally set to go to Yekaterinburg as well, but the embassy received a message advising him not to go.
of photographers of which several were part of the LGBT community, a homeless shelter, and places that were safe havens for drug users. Booth said he spoke to 2-3 groups in each city and had some amazing open discussions about what it is like for him living with HIV.
Murray set Booth up to speak with several groups in the community where HIV was prevalent or people are at a higher risk of HIV. One group included people at the embassy while others were a group
homeless people, anyone who had a higher risk of getting HIV,” Booth said. “I caught my HIV at the very beginning and I was put on drugs right away. I have always been medicated and the drugs are much
“Not everyone that I spoke to had HIV. I talked to drug users, gay, of
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FSU Professor Visits Russia To Share Experience of Living With HIV
safer. In Russia, if you go on medicine, you have to go on a list and if you got HIV from doing drugs, you won’t get medicine. You also have to tell who you got it from.” Booth also did some sightseeing while he was in Russia and said it was a photographer’s dream. He particularly enjoyed the architecture and the subways which he said were so clean and beautiful, as if he were visiting an art gallery. One of his favorite activities was when a group he spoke to took him on a walk around their area of town and called it a “photo-op” where they showed him part of their “world.” “One group took me onto an old naval base and to the Baltic Sea to show me where the sea overlooked the entire warehouse district. It was a run-down dirty place but so beautiful and to have them really be proud to show me that was awesome,” Booth said. Booth is proud of the work he was able to do in Russia and hopes that his experience and opening the dialogue of living with HIV can help those he spoke with and others. He has kept in touch with some of the people he met and hosted an exhibit at the Rosenthal Art Gallery at FSU in January to highlight some of their photos of Russia. Despite his diagnosis, Booth said he has had numerous opportunities because he has been open about his experiences. In addition to traveling to Russia, he was also cast as part of a Swedish reality TV program for 10 Americans to learn about their heritage. Because of the success of the show, Booth was nominated in Sweden as their favorite TV star. He has been to Ethiopia working with Artists for Charity where he was able to work with 16 HIV positive kids at an orphanage. He also works with doctors at Duke University to speak to new nursing students going into
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HIV treatment to talk about his experience. “Our medicines are so much better and there has been a huge stigma in America with HIV but that’s why I talk about it. The stigma is 100 percent getting better. I have seen when I tell people now that there’ s not a look of horror. I would tell people and they would freak out. The stigma is slowly going away, but it has been a slow process for sure. People still don’t want to talk about it,” Booth said. “My experience has lead to an amazing life and I hate putting a positive spin on it, but I am open and honest about it. It didn’t physically change my life but mentally it changed my life, I simply knew nothing about it. It has made me a much better person. It has made me a much better teacher because I deal with the aspects of living with it. I am a more sympathetic person and it opened my eyes to the world because I lived in a bubble.” Booth would welcome the opportunity to go to Russia to speak to more groups about living with HIV and would also be open to speaking to groups in other countries if he feels he could help. “I would love to do this again. I like helping people,” Booth said. “The only way I can help people is by being honest with people and showing them my work.”
Thank You
TO OUR SPONSORS THE FIRST LADY
PREMIER SPONSORSHIP ARAMARK
THE BILLIE HOLIDAY
PREMIER SPONSORSHIP FOLLETT FSU DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
THE ETHEL WATERS
SPONSORSHIP
CAROLINA ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY CENTER METCON SFL+A ARCHITECTS DEVIERE, EVANS,CALLAHAN, VAN GEONS AND EDWARDS N.C. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICE OF HBCU OUTREACH
FSU CENTER FOR DEFENSE & HOMELAND SECURITY
THE SARAH VAUGHAN
SPONSORSHIP
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF FAYETTEVILLE PIEDMONT NATURAL GAS MG (RET) AND MRS. RODNEY O. ANDERSON NORTH CAROLINA CIVIL WAR & RECONSTRUCTION HISTORY CENTER PONDER OB-GYN FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER PWC WISEMAN & WORLEY FUNERAL HOMES FSU NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CAPE FEAR VALLEY HEALTH
PATRON SPONSORSHIP BONEFISH GRILL CAPE FEAR EYE ASSOCIATES, P.A. EVELYN J. REEVES FIVE STAR ENTERTAINMENT JOHNSON’S FLORIST
JOYCE K. HOLLINGSWORTH JULIAN BROWN TAMARA’S FLORAL DESIGNS THE HONORABLE JEANNETTE COUNCIL
Your support of Cotton Club III and the First Lady’s initiative at Fayetteville State University ensures enhanced educational opportunity for all Performing and Fine Arts students at FSU. Spring 2019
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Cotton Club III A Resounding Success
A Resounding Success T
he theme was “Ladies Sing the Blues,” and it could not have been more appropriate. Not only did they sing, they dressed the part. The women donned sequined ensembles in every length imaginable – short, long, and somewhere in between. Some came with furs draped around their necks or tossed over the shoulder. Strands upon strands of pearls hung from their necks. Their hair was adorned with feathers and beads. Not to be outdone, the men came dressed in zoot suits, where the jackets fell below the knees. Long gold chains dangled from their pockets. On their heads were hats were widebrimmed hats that covered their eyes and cast a shadow over their faces. The guests – many who traveled from places like Michigan, Florida, and Washington, D.C. – were dressed for the club. But not just any club. This was a club where the band played music that was as smooth as a pair of patent leather shoes. This was a place where the dancers kicked up their heels so high, the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes would be pea-green with envy. This was a night spot where the crowd was dressed as regally and refined as first-class passengers on a luxury cruise ship during dinner hour. This was the Cotton Club III, a venue that was home to a city-wide celebration that has become so popular among Fayetteville State University supporters and friends. Copping a coveted ticket has become nearly impossible. Co-hosted by Chancellor James and First Lady Nancy Anderson, Cotton Club III was a fundraiser to support the Department of Performing and Fine Arts. It was also billed as the final event in celebration of FSU’s Sesquicentennial. Mrs. Maria Adams and Mrs. Jenny deViere Co-chaired the event. The external committee consisted of Ms. Charlisa Davis, Mrs. Carolyn Worley, and Mrs. Juanita Pilgrim. Internal committee members came from the Division of Institutional Advancement and the Department of Performing and Fine Arts. Nearly 300 people attended the celebration held in the MultiPurpose Room of the Rudolph Jones Student Center. Guests
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Cotton Club III A Resounding Success
marveled at the decor which included white stretch chair covers. The tables were dressed in white and silver sequined table cloths. Atop the tables were center pieces made of white ostrich plumes and fresh flowers. The back wall and dance floor were emblazoned with the 150th anniversary logo. Guests dined on a sumptuous meal prepared and sponsored by Aramark, the FSU food service. The meal included a salad of tender baby greens wrapped in a seasonal cucumber ribbon and tossed with succulent tomatoes, vibrant green peppers and drizzled with a tart and sweet raspberry vinaigrette. The surf and turf entrĂŠe consisted of a pan-seared Chilean sea bass infused with a buttery herb-infused Bearnaise sauce. It was paired with a char-grilled beef tenderloin infused with a demi-glazed red wine sauce. It was served with duchess-style mashed potatoes and crisp, seasoned asparagus spears. The dessert station featured southern-favorite bread pudding prepared with a warm, rich Bourbon sauce and homemade deconstructed banana pudding with whipped cream and salted caramel accents. Entertainment was dispersed throughout the event and featured a variety of performers to
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include Mane Attraction, under the direction of Dr. Denise Payton; the FSU Dance Troupe, directed by Avis Hatcher-Puzzo; the Fayetteville Jazz Orchestra, directed by Dr. Neil Finn; and a host of singers including Jasmin Sessoms, Alfreda Cromartie, Jarae Payton, Isabella Gordon, and Tonya Royal. Serving as emcees were FSU alumna Jasmin Sessoms and Ray Thomas, general manager of iBronco Radio. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of five-tiered cake with a “150” topper in Bronco blue. The cake was rolled out to the sounds of McFadden and Whitehead’s “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.” Chancellor Anderson spoke briefly of the many achievements the university has made in its rich history and the significant events that took placed during the year-long sesquicentennial celebration. Guests commented throughout the evening on the tremendous display of talent by the performers, and of the quality of the event, stating it was one of the best they have ever attended in Fayetteville.
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College of Business and Economics Named for Broadwell Family
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College of Business and Economics Named for Broadwell Family
More than 80 people were on hand February 17, 2019 as one of Fayetteville State University’s most recognized academic programs received a new name. The College of Business and Economics, located in the Rex and Arunel Harris Building, officially became the Broadwell College of Business and Economics. The name was changed to reflect the generosity of brothers Dohn Jr., Charles and Richard Broadwell, who made a gift to FSU in the amount of $500,000 in memory of their parents, Dohn B. Broadwell Sr. and Charlotte L. Broadwell. Dohn Sr. was a
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College of Business and Economics Named for Broadwell Family 26
residential developer in Cumberland County for more than 60 years. He died in 2017. Charlotte Broadwell was a member of the family that owned The Fayetteville Observer for more than 90 years. She died in 1996. The gift from the family will be used to support the College of Business and Economics for funding scholarships, the Center for Entrepreneurship and a speaker’s series. The Ceremony of Appellation was hosted by FSU Chancellor James Anderson. Remarks were made by Vedas Neal, Chair of the FSU Board of Trustees; Dr. Pam Jackson, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs; Dr. Lee Brown, Interim Dean of the Broadwell College of Business and Economics; and Kareen Brown-Jones, SGA President. Charles Broadwell made remarks on behalf of the family. Guests included friends and family members of the Broadwells, FSU faculty, staff and students, and community leaders. Following the dedication ceremony, a reception was held in the lobby of the Harris Building. The naming of the Broadwell College of Business and Economics marks the second venue that bears the name of the family. Lilly Gymnasium on the FSU campus was constructed in 1938 and named in honor of Dr. H.W. Lilly, secretary-treasurer of the school’s Board of Trustees. Lilly was the grandfather of Charlotte Broadwell and greatgrandfather of the Broadwell brothers.
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Charles Broadwell
Dohn Broadwell
Richard Broadwell
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From The Chancellor 28
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Jorim Reid FSU Band Director
Takes Band to New Heights
Over the past three years, Fayetteville State University’s band program has grown from a band with few members and a lot of challenges to a band that is growing and flourishing in reputation and stature, all under the direction and guidance of Band Director Jorim Reid. Taking over as director in late fall 2015, Reid has overcome numerous challenges with the program to help form a band program that students, faculty, and alumni can all be proud of. Reid was born in Chicago but grew up in Miami. His father was in the military. His mother, a musician who played numerous instruments and sang, got Reid interested in music when he was young. He started playing music in church, where he played the guitar and then learned piano and drums. He later joined the band at school where he learned the saxophone and flute. Reid studied Music and Music Education while
attending Florida A&M University for his undergraduate degree and Florida State where he earned his Master’s degree. He will receive his doctorate from Boston University in 2019. He worked for 15 years as the director of bands at NC Central before taking the helm of the FSU program. Originally Reid wasn’t interested in the position at FSU but one of his mentor’s at NCCU encouraged him to apply. After meeting with FSU’s Chancellor and hearing his vision for the university and band program, Reid felt he could help make a difference, so he took the position and didn’t look back. Three years after taking the job, Reid’s hard work and dedication is paying off. The program which had 18 students in 2015 now has nearly 100. “The growth of the program has been steady and the reputation of the program is growing too,” Reid said. “The biggest thing to overcome
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From The Chancellor
with this group has been the culture and the decades -- and I do mean decades of the perception of the department and band program. High school kids tend to not want to participate … a lot of that comes with the amount of support and resources that the program has had in the past.” Overcoming the perception of the band was just one of the many challenges. Reid said funding for the programs and having needed uniforms and equipment was also a problem. He also said that FSU’s large number of non-traditional students has been something he has worked hard to overcome. “The challenge of Fayetteville State being sort of a school that’s focused on non-traditional students makes it even more difficult because non-traditional students do not often participate in extracurricular activities or get involved in activities such as the band,” Reid said. “The pride that comes when you have a demographic of students that are between the ages of 17-21 can get lost when you have students enrolled that are at different stages of their life that require time focused on family and career … you are left with a smaller pool of students who have the time to energetically participate.” Reid said that potential high school students for the program often point out the old uniforms and facilities that are worn. He said so much about band programs go back to image and the band being very small. Overcoming the struggling image of the FSU band where students were having better experiences in their high schools was hard, but hard work and the support of the administration were instrumental in overcoming this challenge. “We definitely have the support,” Reid said about the administration. “I wrote a proposal when I decided to consider the position … this is what’s needed but I did not come in and ask for it all. I came in and just decided to work with what I had. I thought, if I can make these 18 students look good and sound good, people will buy into the quality. You work with what you have, and you advocate for the students.”
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Reid said he is driven by one main reason -- the students’ success. “If I get the students to buy in and have pride and a sense of worth, love what they are doing, and give them something they can be proud of and proud of how they look and sound, it can be contagious. It rubs off and people want to know how they can support this,” Reid said. Since taking over in 2015, the band program at FSU has had numerous accolades and awards. The band has started performing at different competitions and exhibition performances where the crowds have been receptive to the performances. They have also received accolades from other organizations. Last year, FSU was named the CIAA band of the year 2017 and through juried evaluations of qualified current and former university band directors brought in to watch and critique band videos, named MBX (Marching Bronco Xpress) the number one band in all of Division II 2018 for ESPN. In 2016, when then President Barack Obama visited Fayetteville and spoke at Fayetteville State, the band performed for the president and received numerous positive compliments and praises. The band would later perform for former President Bill Clinton who would share a few intimate moments talking with the band students after they performed. Most important to Reid is his students’ accomplishments. FSU’s 2018-19 Miss FSU and SGA president are both active members of the band. Reid said that he is proud of the awards and accolades of the program but what means the most to him is something different. “This may seem small, but it is the fact that students are approaching me when I am recruiting and they have already applied and want to be in the band program. That means the high school students are already watching and want to be a part of our program -- especially in the Fayetteville area,” Reid said. “For high school students to say, ‘I have already applied. When is camp?’ that is the biggest accomplishment.”
The FSU band’s application to start a colony of the Tau Beta Sigma national honorary band sorority was recently approved, and in 2018, a chapter of the Kappa Kappa Psi national honorary band fraternity was established. Reid lives in Durham and commutes to Fayetteville State. He is married and has three children between the ages of nine months and 10 years old. He is proud of where the band program is and where it has come but keeps his eyes focused on the future. “Making music, seeing progress – as a professional musician, you are very critical of your sound and think everything sounds bad, but we practice and progress at each show and even year-to-year. We keep striving for the highest level and we want to be competitive. For me personally, I don’t want to be average or have an average band. Nor do I want to stop at being simply excellent. Why not try to be the best?” Reid said. “We should all be striving for the best … not just the best HBCU, or best band in Fayetteville, Carolinas or CIAA, but the best as an overall comprehensive band program -- a great jazz band and concert band. What is the quality of the group? How do we compare to a predominantly white institution (PWI) band? Those students are graduating with the same degrees and are the same age as ours so we want to be competitive so the students can compete when they get out into the world. Our job is to foster and prepare them to be competitive after they matriculate and pursue their careers. There has been no greater reward than recruiting students from their high school band rooms and then to see students grow academically and pursue their endeavors. I have a lot of former band students who represent a wide range of careers that include band directors, police officers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, professors, principals, engineers, business entrepreneurs, politicians, military, film and entertainment industry, and more. This is the purpose. The band is the catalyst for students to matriculate and get their degree and live successful lives after they graduate.”
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Peer Career Coach Encourages Students to Seize Early Career Opportunities
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Peer Career Coach Encourages Students to Seize Early Career Opportunities By Bria Battle
Peer career coach, LaShea Shipp, is no stranger to fulfilling leadership roles at Fayetteville State University and beyond. Shipp joined the Career Services student team after noticing how her early career-preparatory experiences in college presented success. In the beginning of her freshman year, LaShea joined the National Association of Black Accountants, a professional association that advocates for opportunity on behalf of blacks in accounting, finance and other similar fields. It was in that year that LaShea discovered her love for accounting. Shipp met her tutor in her first year at FSU and was exposed to the Accounting Society. She received information about an accounting conference hosted by NABA and wasted no time paying her fees to attend. Spring 2019
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Peer Career Coach Encourages Students to Seize Early Career Opportunities
“Being around so many professionals and getting exposed to big accounting and financial corporations changed my outlook on it. I haven’t looked back since,” Shipp shared. The opportunity led Shipp to become an ambassador for the organization and seek other leadership opportunities such as the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership Institute. After being selected to attend the institute, she came across the Office of Career Services and did exactly what she said—never looked back. In 2017, the United Negro College Fund awarded FSU the Career Pathways Initiative grant, which funds the Peer Career Coach program for the Office of Career Services. The Peer Career Coaches serve as ambassadors for Career Services by mentoring, developing, and empowering their peers to create and achieve their career goals through active career planning and preparation. LaShea appreciated the office’s inclusion of students in their line of work and went for the opportunity. She joined the team in January 2018. Under the supervision of Mr. Clifford Parker, the Peer
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Career Coaches have been an asset to the career services staff. They undergo training to better serve their peers who seek guidance in career and professional development. This helped improve the connection between students and Career Services. “I can definitely see the huge improvement in the development between the office and the students,” stated Shipp. “I have witnessed more student participation at events, more appointments being made and more students asking questions about opportunities posted on the website.” Due to most students being comfortable with receiving guidance from their peers, the office allows them to schedule appointments with the Peer Career Coaches through Handshake, an online portal that matches students to career opportunities. The student logs on to their account and selects the coach that works with their respective major. Shipp, a double major in accounting and banking and finance, typically works with majors under the Broadwell College of Business and Economics. As a Peer Career Coach, Shipp just wants students to take
advantage of the opportunities given and to get an early start to career planning and development. “It is never too early to apply, research, and even shadow someone you look up to in your chosen career field,” she explained. As a graduating senior in May, Shipp will join PWC as a Client Service Intern in the Audit department. She is looking to continue her education by obtaining her Certified Public Accountant license and plans to keep her career options open.
Retired Army General Continues Purpose and Passion at FSU
Anderson has a storied life and career. Growing up on a farm in Elloree, South Carolina, he was one of seven Black students (“Elloree seven”), to integrate the Elloree Public School system in 1965. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wofford College, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Following ROTC commissioning, he served for 33 years as a Paratrooper, Field Artillery Officer and General Officer holding a variety of positions, including battery, battalion, brigade and general officer command and staff positions.
Major General (Retired) Rodney Anderson
Major General (Retired) Rodney Anderson retired from the U.S. Army in 2012, however, after 33 years of dedicated service to the nation and the men and women who serve, his passion for serving didn’t retire. Earlier this year, General Anderson took on a new role as Fayetteville State University, Special Assistant to the Provost for Military Affairs. This consulting position allows him to serve soldiers, and their families in building, advancing and transitioning careers through education.
Anderson is no stranger to the Fayetteville and Fort Bragg area. During his military service, he served five tours at Fort Bragg and completed over 125 parachute jumps. He also served on several combat deployments, including Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, Operation Desert Shield/Storm in Saudi Arabia and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. His military travels include visits to over 30 nations. Along the way, Anderson obtained a Master of Arts in Strategic and National Security Studies from the Naval War College.
He began working at FSU in early 2018 but his ties to the university date back a few more years. In 2012, as the Acting Commander of XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, a position he held for one year, he helped build a partnership between Fort Bragg and local educational institutions. He formed a relationship with FSU and was presented with an honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Humane Letters upon his retirement from active military service. “After retirement, I considered a lot of opportunities, but I really enjoy doing what I
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Retired Army General Continues Purpose and Passion at FSU
can to help transitioning veterans. Veterans are my purpose and passion. Veterans are a passion to me because anyone who takes an oath to give their life for their country, deserves the best support in transition from the military,” Anderson said. In transitioning to life outside of the military, General Anderson knew that he wanted to continue to follow his passions and three main life priorities: faith, family, and serving Veterans. Immediately following retirement, he founded a consulting firm, LDR Consulting LLC, where he works with companies that want to hire transitioning Veterans. He gave up consulting for a short time to serve as the CEO and President of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce but quickly realized that working with veterans and their families was his passion. He resigned and went back to consulting. Anderson continues to consult on military and veteran transition issues with companies across the nation and now, as FSU Special Assistant to the Provost for Military Affairs, he works as liaison between FSU and militaryaffiliated students. “There are three populations that matriculate through FSU; traditional students, working adults and military affiliated students,” according to Anderson. “Approximately onethird of the population are traditional, campus students. The larger population are working adults and military affiliated students.” Anderson believes that there are three main reasons that military-affiliated students should enroll at FSU. The first is to BUILD their career. A young person needs the knowledge, reasoning and problem solving promoted by their educational experience. Second, to ADVANCE their career – for mid-grade non-commissioned officers or officers, he said that education sets them apart. The third is to TRANSITION from the military to their next career -- when soldiers are a few years from
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transition or retirement, an undergraduate or graduate degree helps them make a smooth career transition. “FSU is a phenomenal institution; many don’t appreciate the caliber professors or quality and value of the education,” Anderson said. “FSU has several nationally ranked programs and a Top Ten North Carolina ranked business school and an MBA program which competes with North Carolina schools like UNC and Duke. If you are a mid-grade officer you can easily get your MBA from FSU with hybrid classes, on campus or online. The price can’t be beat and the credentials you get from it can’t be matched. If you are a spouse, it helps you compete as well.” With his work at FSU, Anderson works directly with FSU Provost Dr. Pamela Jackson, and primarily engages with the organizations that assist the military such as FSU Bragg, the satellite enterprise on Fort Bragg where he works directly with Veronica Alexander who runs FSU Bragg. Anderson also works directly with FSU professors who are interested in military related projects, topics, or initiatives. Anderson is constantly looking for new initiatives where the university can partner with Fort Bragg. He also assists the career services department in planning and conducting hiring events. This spring, he helped assist with a hiring event where numerous companies and organizations including Cumberland County, Public Works Commission, the City of Fayetteville and other local, regional and national companies and organizations came together for a career fair and hiring event. “We convinced the organizations to conduct a hiring event. Over 20 companies agreed to participate and identified the positions in advance. Individuals including transitioning veterans were able to set up interviews based on their resume,” Anderson said. “In addition to the career fair which connected career
seekers with employers, 140 individuals participated in employment interviews.” Anderson says his transition to life outside of the military and into academia has been seamless and that there are a lot of similarities between the two worlds. “The military and the academic professions both have certain attributes… they each have their own language or terminology and they have a shared experience – a certain culture and set of values,” Anderson said. “My transition to academia has been seamless. I am not a faculty member but a consultant providing a range of services. I provide advice and recommendations. It has been enlightening to me because I have greatly expanded my knowledge of the university and programs which allow me to see opportunities for military-affiliated students.” In addition to working with FSU and his consulting work, Anderson also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Fayetteville Workforce Development Board, which provides support to employers and job/career seekers in the Fayetteville, Cumberland County area. He also spends a lot of time volunteering at his church, Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church. He is happy to make his retirement life in Fayetteville and the surrounding communities and is excited about the future with his work at FSU and its students. “My work at FSU coincides with my passion for the military. If it didn’t coincide with that passion, I wouldn’t do it,” Anderson said. “I want to help veterans and active duty and families to get their education because that will help them build or advance a career and eventually that will be invaluable in advancing their quality of life and transforming our quality of place.”
Spring Fall 2018 2019
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FSU Biology Students and Faculty Attend Focus Program at Georgia Tech 38
Badiah Hannon, a graduating senior majoring in forensic science with a biology concentration, and Clivette Williams, a senior majoring in biology, were selected among hundreds of applicants to attend the program. During Focus Weekend, the students were able to visit academic units and research laboratories according to their interest, interact with faculty and current students in various departments, meet with the Graduate Admission Office to discuss admission timelines, expectations and funding sources as well as hear testimonials from current graduate students and alumni on life at Georgia Tech and professional careers.
FSU Biology Students and Faculty Attend Focus Program at Georgia Tech Two students from Fayetteville State University’s (FSU) Department of Biological Sciences students were selected to attend the 29th Annual Focus Program at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, Georgia from January 17-20, 2019. The Focus Program is one of the nation’s premier programs for raising awareness of graduate education. It is designed to attract the best and brightest underrepresented minority students and encourage them to pursue graduate degrees at Georgia Tech. The Focus Program invites third- and fourth-year students to apply to attend this program, which is open to students around the nation. Accommodations, meals, and transportation subsidies are provided for all accepted scholars.
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Currently, Hannon is a research student in the laboratory of Dr. Shirley Chao, investigating the effects of a Hemp-based pesticide on the Plodia interpunctella or the Indian Meal moth and measuring the mortality rate on the larvae stage of the insect. “I already knew that I wanted to go to graduate school but attending the Focus Program at The Georgia Institute of Technology helped solidify my plans. I received very useful information on the graduate programs at Georgia Tech as well
as graduate school in general. All of the information has helped me plan for my future. This experience was once in a lifetime and I am very appreciative of the opportunity,” said Hannon. Williams is currently a research student in the laboratory of Dr. Justin Graham investigating ‘Pyocyanin regulation in the bacterium, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa’. “Within hours of being in attendance of Georgia Tech’s Focus Program I was able
to meet students and faculty just like me from all seven continents all with a passion to change the world in a positive way. This program is one of kind made for the ambitious, intuitive, and passionate. Definitely worth every minute,” said Williams. Both Hannon and Williams are currently submitting applications to graduate schools to pursue a graduate degree in a biomedical science field of study.
Sciences faculty, Dr. Danielle Graham, an Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, and Dr. Justin Graham, an adjunct Assistant Professor of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, were invited by the Focus program planning committee to participate in the events and strengthen the pipeline between Fayetteville State University and Georgia Tech to increase diversity in STEM.
Two Department of Biological
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FSU Professor Sees Life Through Different Perspective
FSU Professor Sees Life
Fayetteville State University professor of History, Dr. Bradley Kadel, has overcome a major obstacle in life that many cannot even fathom. Dr. Kadel was born partially blind and went completely blind by the age of 30, but that hasn’t stopped him from living a normal life, exploring the world, and achieving his dreams, all while having a positive attitude. As a professor, Kadel instills the same positive outlook and determination into his students. Kadel, originally from Bowley, Illinois, graduated from Luther College in Iowa. He went on to get a master’s degree in History from American University in Washington, DC and then a PhD in History from the University of Wisconsin where he focused on World and European History with a concentration on Irish History. He has been teaching at FSU since 2005 and loves making a difference in the lives of his students. 40
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Kadel was born legally blind with congenital glaucoma but had partial vision through most of his early life. He had several surgeries as a child to help slow down vision loss but he went completely blind at the age of 30. Once he went completely blind, Kadel said he was somewhat relieved. He had been preparing to go blind his whole life and gaining the skills he needed to thrive. He had been walking with a cane since he was a teenager and had learned Braille in elementary school. He had been focusing on alternate ways to do normal things for years and said because of that, actually going blind was not as traumatic as it seemed. “I had surgeries when I was a child which slowed things down and helped for a while but also did long-term damage,” Kadel said. “In many ways I have had the best of both worlds in that I grew up knowing what everything looks like -- colors and
Through a Different Perspective Kadel didn’t want his blindness to define him and found that he excelled in college when he was able to take ownership of his education and become more independent. “I didn’t want to look blind. I wanted to look normal. I think also once I got out of high school, I excelled at college more so than in high school. I had this feeling of doing something on my own and being independent,” Kadel said. Kadel knew he wanted to go into teaching after getting his first teaching experience while in undergrad school. He found a lot of joy from being in front of the class and filling students’ minds and challenging them.
what the visual world is all about. Having been partially sighted, I grew up and was largely educated as a blind person so by 3rd or 4th grade I was learning Braille etc. and it helped me then and later on in life.” Though Kadel kept a positive attitude about his situation, he said that facing his vision loss was not all easy. There were numerous stereotypes, low expectations, ignorance and misunderstandings that Kadel had to face and overcome, from others and from himself. “In high school I had a lot of low expectations and I kind of had an image of what a blind person was -- very frumpy and bad dressers. It wasn’t that long ago that blind people weren’t in the workforce. Just 28 years ago the Americans With Disabilities Act -- the civil rights of disabled people to have equal access to things -- was signed,” Kadel said.
“I like teaching a lot. It is very rewarding when you get the sense that you have made a difference in peoples’ lives. My main drive for going into teaching was a love and discipline of history and the best way to share the discipline of history and the love of people and our human experience was to teach and share that with students,” Kadel said. “I enjoy the opportunities of helping students who I can relate to – students who have been the underdogs or left behind and haven’t always had the opportunities that a lot of people have across this country … I want to impart in my students a sense of ownership with their education and that their education has the possibility to change their lives.” Kadel enjoys teaching at FSU and the unique student body. He teaches online classes as well as classes on campus. He enjoys working with the military community and the unique perspective that he can provide through teaching. He is currently teaching a class on the history of terrorism.
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FSU Professor Sees Life Through Different Perspective
Being blind has not hindered Kadel’s ability to teach but he said there are parts that can be more challenging. He has found alternative techniques to doing most duties of a university professor. Kadel has an assistant who helps him with specific things such as grading students’ written work and reading exam answers aloud so he can grade them. Kadel said that there is a lot of helpful computer technology that is accessible for the visually impaired as well. He has a voice synthesizer for his computer and said that Apple products come with it built into their operating systems. Kadel not only fell in love with teaching while in college, but he also found a love for travel while studying abroad in college. He spent his junior year at the University of Nottingham in England. He was able to travel around England and Scotland but fell in love with Ireland. He has since focused much of his research on Irish history. He focused his PhD dissertation on Irish History and published his dissertation called Drink and Culture in 19th Century Ireland which is available on Amazon. Kadel breaks the typical mold by studying and focusing on topics such as Irish Pubs. He has been able to bring some of that unique history to classes at FSU. He is currently teaching a course called the History of Alcohol and Drugs where he focuses on how alcohol and drugs have affected cultures. Kadel continues to spend a lot of time in Ireland where he has formed a community of friends and continues to learn more about the culture.
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“I go back pretty much every summer and do research in the National Library archives. I am a musician and play music there and have friends there now and have this great community that I enjoy,” Kadel said. Kadel’s positive attitude and determination to not allow his visual impairment to define any limitations in his life is something that he hopes to pass along to his students and anyone who might be facing similar circumstances. “Make sure that you find peers and other people that have experiences with what you are experiencing … particularly blindness but other disabilities where people can be isolated socially. People often internalize the negative stereotypes and they don’t have the cultural capital to be able to set goals for themselves and to imagine themselves in various settings,” Kadel said. “I learned a great deal when I went blind and faced this kind of profound question -- How much of the things that you find pleasure with really have to do with what you are physically seeing? The answer was not very much. Would I rather have sight? Of course, but I have been preparing for this my whole life.”
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A Murder Mystery on FSU’s Campus
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On February 16, 2019, the FSU Staff Senate held its first “Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre”. What an awesome event it was. The evening was filled with glamour, love, humor—and murder. The cast was comprised of FSU staff and members of the Fayetteville community. The off-stage support by FSU students and local businesses proved to be the needed motivation giving the night an atmosphere of a Broadway production with a star-studded cast. The evening was a fun-filled activity with a delectable dinner and glowing remarks from over 150 attendees. Funds generated from the activity will be used in support of the Fayetteville State University Staff Senate Education Grant. This grant is awarded yearly by the FSU Staff Senate to members of the non-teaching staff in support of their educational endeavors. Staff recipients must be a full-time employee and currently enrolled in either a certification or a degree granting program. The Staff Senate supports, publicizes, advocates and, represents the interests and needs of all non-teaching staff at FSU. The Wedding Reception by Archie Wilson was presented as the story of two people who are headover-heels in love. Yet, the quarreling families have long held hidden secrets, their basis for not want-
ing the couple to marry. Despite the animosity of the two families against the marriage, the couple completed their nuptials. The pre-reception was the first indication that this was going to be an interesting night. Members of the wedding party had no discretion in voicing their negative thoughts about this marriage to the guests during the pre-reception. Therefore, the dinner reception began with high tensions. Guests were talking among themselves as to what they had learned during the earlier informal reception. During the dinner, while the audience watched and listened, the father of the groom was the first of the wedding party to give remarks, and the remarks were negatively directed at the groom and members of his family. As the father of the bride ended his remarks, he collapsed and died. Thus, the mystery began. Throughout the dinner reception, attendees were awed by the caliber of acting by their peers as well as the unfolding drama that was presented to them. Each table worked as a detective agency to solve the murder mystery and, ultimately, win the evening. The Fayetteville State University Staff Senate expresses sincere appreciation to all who supported the organization’s first murder mystery fundraiser. See you next year!
The Murder Mystery Planning Committee
Cast and Supporting Staff Yolanda Barnes Larry Morning Dwayne Hodges Marny Marsh La’Won Williams Paula Sampson Winston Noel Jolanda Smith Monica Goodwin Rodney McCrowre
Bride Groom Father of the Groom Mother of the Groom Father of the Bride Mother of the Bride Best Man Bridesmaid Bridesmaid Super Sleuth
Ray Thomas Yolanda Barnes & Adam Glenn
Emcee Cast Directors
Patricia G. Flanigan, Chair Linda Saunders, Co-Chair Yolanda Barnes Shenetta Dudley Tammiika J Frowner Sonya Knight Gloria Mills Arnescia Moody Michelle Saunders Velappan Velappan Natasha Walker Cindia Wetherwax Nicholle Young
Fall 2019 2018 Spring
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FSU Accounting Professor Holds 23 Degrees is an Author and a Martial Arts World Champion
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Dr. Robert McGee has been a professor of Accounting at Fayetteville State since 2012 and though his students and colleagues may think they know him, what they don’t know may surprise them. McGee has spent more than 40 years in accounting, tax, consulting and education. He holds 23 academic degrees, including 13 doctoral degrees. In addition to his professional career, and at the spry age of 65, McGee began competing in martial arts competitions and now holds 239 gold medals and is a five-time world champion in martial arts. At age 71, he has no plans of slowing down. McGee’s career has been an interesting one. He completed his undergraduate education at Gannon University in Erie PA where he started off as an Accounting major but found it to be boring, so he switched to Economics. From then on, his career has taken some interesting turns and he has made a life and career out of trying new things and constantly learning new jobs. “I taught Algebra in high school for a year and then went into banking as an Auditor – but I didn’t know what I was doing so I went back to night school to study accounting and took the CPA exam. I was there for three years and then I answered an ad in the Wall Street Journal in Chicago for a commodity brokerage firm and the partners decided to fold the business. I found another job working in a tax department, took the job and faked it, and so I was able to survive. I went to night school at DePaul University. You fake it until you make it,” McGee said. Over time, McGee earned 23 degrees, 13 which are doctoral degrees. “There is no need to have more than three or four degrees, but nobody told me to stop,” McGee joked. McGee later became an accounting professor at Seton Hall University. While there, he went on a sabbatical for one year, and used the time off to accept a consulting position with USAID in Armenia, where he helped its Finance Ministry move away from the Soviet accounting system and adopt International Accounting Standards.
“I found a book on it and read it on the airplane and by the time I arrived I knew more than anyone in the Finance Ministry,” McGee said. After his sabbatical, he went back to teach at Seton Hall for a year, and because his consulting in Armenia was so successful, USAID wanted him to assist in other countries. After his year teaching, he quit to continue to work as a consultant for USAID and went to Bosnia. His work in Armenia and Bosnia were both successful. He drafted the accounting law for Armenia and Bosnia and also reviewed the accounting law for Mozambique. He assisted the Finance Ministries of Armenia and Bosnia in converting their countries to International Financial Reporting Standards and also helped modernize the accounting curriculum for all the major universities in Armenia and Bosnia. Following his time overseas, McGee took a teaching job at Barry University in Miami and then at Florida International University, where he taught in the International programs and spent time traveling to the Caribbean and Mexico. He became a professor at Fayetteville State in 2012. “I like the small class size at Fayetteville State and the faculty and administrators are friendly,” McGee said. “It is a very pleasant place to teach.” McGee’s teaching has garnered him several awards and scholarships, including the Best Professor Award for the College of Business and Economics at FSU in 2017. He has also been ranked as a top professor for years by the Social Science Research Network. When McGee came to Fayetteville State in 2012, he was 65 years old and began looking for a gym to work out. He started martial arts in high school where he became a sparring partner for a pro boxer in the 60s. He did that for two years and then didn’t do it again until he moved to Fayetteville. “When I moved here to Fayetteville, I was looking for a gym with weights and I saw a sign that said ATA Black Belt Acad-
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FSU Accounting Professor is Martial Arts World Champion
emy. I went in to check it out and they offered to give me a month of free lessons. I was 65 at the time. After 30 days, I had to decide to continue and pay and I continued,” McGee said. McGee studies several different types of martial arts. He practices Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi, and Kung Fu. His main focus is Tae Kwon Do. After practicing martial arts for a while, McGee was encouraged to enter competitions. “I won some medals and I kept doing it over and over again,” McGee said. “It was my own idea to do the world championship. It was in Dublin, Ireland. I have enjoyed competing with people from all over the world.” McGee has since won numerous championships and medals. He has 35 gold medals from national Tae Kwon Do championships, six first place trophies in karate national championships, he is a five-time world champion in three different martial arts, one in Kung Fu, three in karate, and one in Tae Kwon Do, and has a silver medal in Tai Chi. Although he is a certified instructor, he prefers to be a student rather than a teacher. Overall, McGee has won 239 gold medals, 121 (one medal from when he was in his 30s) silver medals, and 85 bronze medals during his time competing.
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Though his teaching and martial arts training keeps McGee busy, he has also found time for a few other activities. Dr. McGee has written five novels, several of which were on the number 1 list on Amazon for a while, and has also published 59 non-fiction books and more than 700 scholarly articles. He also enjoys traveling and likes to go to exotic places on vacation. He recently visited Thailand where he spent time in the mountains at a Tai Chi camp. With the rest of his free time, McGee enjoys spending time with his wife of 48 years and his family, which includes two daughters and two grandsons. He enjoys spending time with the many friends he has made through martial arts as well. McGee has packed a lot of accomplishments into his life already and he has no plans of slowing down. He will compete in eight events at another world championship in July 2019. “I haven’t slept since the 1970s,” McGee joked. “I stay busy.”
FSU Nursing Alumna Sees Program Thrive After Struggles
Fayetteville State University’s Nursing program has two tracts. The first is RN to BSN program which began in 1992. This program takes students who are already registered nurses and fulfills their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The second tract is the Pre-Licensure/Generic Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. This program teaches students nursing skills and prepares students for the NCLEX test which students must pass to become a nurse. This program works to prepare students for a career in nursing and to give students the education and preparation to pursue advanced nursing degrees. This program began in 2005 and Dr. Mari Dixon was part of the first graduating class. The Pre-Licensure program hit some rough patches in the beginning but is now a flourishing program and is recognized as one of the top nursing programs in the nation. Dr. Dixon received her first bachelor’s degree from UNC Pembroke in Recreation Administration and Spring 2019
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From The Chancellor
taught high school for a year. She quickly realized that teaching high school wasn’t what she wanted to do and decided to go to nursing school. She entered the program with approximately 30 other students that were accepted as part of the first nursing class at FSU in 2007. “Originally we were called the Genesis Project. There was a lot of excitement and need for a local BSN program so the numbers started to grow. There were between 50-60 students at one point in the program,” Dixon said. Dixon endured in the program while it grew and went through the beginning struggles. In 2009, FSU closed its pre-licensure program in part due to low NCLEX pass rates. After a few years of not accepting new students to the program and making vital changes in its department, chair, faculty, program requirements, and curriculum, it began accepting students again. “Some students dropped out over the course of the program and there were some setbacks. At the end, there were seven students that graduated on time and later there were others who were able to fulfill the degree requirements,” Dixon said. “We received an excellent nursing foundation. We were taught by knowledgeable instructors who were experienced and very diverse from many different nursing backgrounds.” Dixon went to nursing school with the intention of continuing her education further so when she finished her degree, she immediately enrolled in graduate school. She received her Master’s and Doctorate from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2014. Dixon is now a nurse practitioner at Cape Fear Valley in Fayetteville where she has been for 14 years, first while she was in nursing school as a nursing assistant, then as a critical care registered nurse and now as a nurse practitioner in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. “On a daily basis I am involved in patient rounding and procedures on patients undergoing heart, lung,
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and vascular surgeries.,” Dixon said. “I also work with our cardiac quality improvement initiatives and coordinate the ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) program at Cape Fear. ECMO is a form of mechanical life support which requires a multidisciplinary approach for complex patients in cardiac and/or respiratory failure.” Dixon stays busy and is passionate about nursing. In addition to her full-time job at the hospital, she also works as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at FSU in the RN to BSN program. Dixon teaches the Nursing practicum and Nursing research courses, both of which she teaches online. “I love teaching and I particularly like online teaching. It requires unique strategies by using technology to engage the students and create dialogue in the course,” Dixon said. “One benefit of nursing is the different opportunities you have as a nurse. In nursing there is a broad spectrum of opportunities – bedside care, administration, quality improvement, advanced practice, education, etc. It provides opportunities for someone to find their niche and what they are good at.” Though the University’s nursing program went through a few struggles in the beginning, the program is now thriving. The program has a pass rate of 97.9 percent and NurseJournal.org recognized the FSU Nursing program as number two in the Eastern Region in 2017 and best among the UNC system schools -- based on quality, affordability, convenience, satisfaction, and value. “Within a couple of years, the program was running smoothly. Great leadership, committed faculty, and dedication by the university turned the program around,” Dixon said. “Sometimes I still get students at FSU to shadow me and you can tell that the caliber of students has evolved and improved. The students are really knowledgeable and well prepared for the workforce.”
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FSU Chancellor Honored by Fayetteville State University (FSU) Chancellor James A. Anderson was honored by the North Carolina Justice Center as a Champion of Justice. The center recognized Anderson “for his years of extraordinary advocacy for and commitment to social justice, inclusive community engagement, and educational opportunities.” The North Carolina Justice Center is one of the state’s preeminent voices for economic and social justice. As a leading progressive research and advocacy organization, the center’s mission is to eliminate poverty in North Carolina by ensuring that every household in the state has access to the resources, services and fair treatment it needs to achieve economic security.
In addition to serving as Chancellor, Anderson is a Professor of Psychology at FSU. He is in his 11th year in this position. He is committed to making FSU a worldclass university of choice through advanced technology, new cutting-edge academic programs, state of the art classroom buildings and residence halls, expanded partnerships with the community and educational institutions, globalism, student success, community service, and professional development for faculty, staff and students. Anderson’s tenure at FSU saw the institution increase its physical stature with some of the most modern and attractive buildings to be found on a college campus. He also initiated the launch and successful completion of the largest fund-raising campaign in the institution’s history. “The Campaign for Fayetteville State University: From a Proud Legacy to a 21st Century,” raised nearly $27 million.
To make opportunity and prosperity for all a reality, the center works toward: • Jobs that are safe, pay a living wage, and provide benefits • Access to quality and affordable health care • Quality public education for every child • Consumer protections from abusive practices • Safe and affordable housing • Public investments that expand opportunities for economic security • A fair and stable revenue system that adequately funds public investments while fairly distributing tax responsibility • Fair treatment for everyone in North Carolina – regardless of race, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation
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Fayetteville State University’s
“Miss Alumni ” Ms. MiKayla Raines is currently the youngest graduate in
Fayetteville State University’s history’s at the age of eighteen, after one year at FSU. She is also the youngest Ms. FSU Alumni in Fayetteville State University’s history at the age of nineteen. MiKayla graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Spanish. She also received an award for being the youngest to graduate in the Psychology Department. Ms. Raines’ educational journey with FSU began at Cumberland International Early College High School (CIECHS). In May 2016, Ms. MiKayla Raines graduated CIECHS and became a Fayetteville State University Bronco in August 2016. Walking across the stage on May 13, 2017 is one of Ms. Raines’ proudest accomplishments to date. Ms. Raines is currently working towards her Masters of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Marketing with FSU’s Broadwell College of Business and Economics. As a graduate assistant, Ms. Raines assists her respective Department and faculty by completing tasks and playing an active role in sponsored events such as the Annual Youth Entrepreneurship Day. She is also a member of the AEI Council through representation at the University of Virginia and the AEI Headquarters in D.C. and recently represented FSU at NC Graduate Education Day in Raleigh, NC. She is an impressive role model who is always ready to inspire others to strive for success in their academic careers. She is an active member of NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) and has represented at various events. MiKayla Raines has a true desire for service and continues to seek opportunities in which she can give back to her community and promote academic excellence as well as the quest for success. She exemplifies promotion through her daily walk in life with a personal mission to make a significant impact for those that she encounters. She is Miss FSU Alumni 2018 and raised scholarship funds for deserving students that desire to attend Fayetteville State University, the illustrious Historically Black College and University. Finally, in May at the age of twenty years old, she will receive a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a certificate in Spanish. In the fall of 2019, her desire is to transition to a PhD in Business. Spring 2019
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The Blue & White ALUMNI
All the way from 1200 Murchison Road, to 25,000 feet in the air, from the field at the corner of Langdon and Murchison to the shelves of a grocery store near you, from a seat in the classroom of the Butler building to a seat in a law school at only 18 years old! Fayetteville State University has been the launching pad for the successful careers of over 28,000 citizens of the world, 1200 of whom I had the pleasure of personally shaking their hands, and welcoming them to their next chapter as Broncos, that of an alumnus.
When I attend graduation, one of the things I most enjoy is interacting with the families. Speaking with the families of our new alumni, you learn first hand what their new degrees mean to them. For many it breaks the cycle of generational poverty. As the first graduates in their families, they represent the sweat of their parent’s brow, and the hope of their grandparents’ struggle. For some, it is the start of the second career, following a full first career serving on the Greetings Bronco Family! Greetings to all Broncos, greetings to all family members of Broncos, greetings to all friends of Broncos, and greetings to all Bronco supporters. What a wonderful day it is? It’s wonderful because we are “Proud to Be” Broncos for life. With this pride comes responsibility. I support the notion that as a Bronco I must speak on, that I must speak out and, that I must speak about Fayetteville State University. I support the notion that I must support FSU and that I must support the National Alumni Association through volunteerism and through financial contributions. It’s also a wonderful day because we have been afforded the opportunity to be able to grace our presence in this day and time which allows each one of us to commit to delivering on the University’s motto, Res Non Verba….”Deeds not Words.” Join me if you will with fulfilling this commitment and when we follow through with the deeds that will make you 54
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front lines to protect freedom for the rest of us. Sometimes, it is the completion of years of starts and stops; through money running out, and crises that required immediate attention; the manifestation of grit, and determination, and sheer will, the end goal finally realized. Whatever your story, whatever your journey you have attained your degree. You have earned the right to call yourself a Bronco. With that title comes great pride, and an awesome responsibility. It is one that urges you to lead with your deeds instead of your words. Being a Bronco means that you remember, always, the struggle that it took to reach your goal, and that you celebrate with those who have sojourned along the same path. Having the honor to be called an alumnus means that you value the sacrifices of those who have come before you, and that you will strive constantly to ensure the legacy and continued viability of FSU. It means that you know that this is home, and that you return often. So, from 1200 Murchison Road, to wherever you are in the world, I greet you, I salute you, and I honor you, Bronco. In Bronco Love & Blessings,
YaKima S. Rhinehart, ‘96 Senior Director of Alumni Affairs
proud, the students, their families, the university and the Alumni Association will make a positive impact now and for some time to come. Thank you for being “Proud to Be” because if you aren’t, people will see! Respectfully,
Richard D. Kingsberry `78, President Fayetteville State University National Alumni Association
NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, INC. OFFICERS President First Vice President Second Vice President Treasurer Financial Secretary Recording Secretary Assistant Secretary
NAME Richard D. Kingsberry Sabrina Richardson Linda C. Coley LaChrystal Williams Chonna Campbell Linda Fay Smith Tannis Jenkins
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers of the Association Immediate Past President President of Each Chapter Director of Alumni Affairs At Large Members At Large Member Ms. / Mr. National Alumni
NAME 7 Elected Officers Rev. Raymond Privott 35 Chapters YaKima Rhinehart Mary Bailey Sidney Samuel Ragenni Coleman & Richard D. Kingsberry
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Officers of the Association Immediate Past President Chapter President Chapter President Chapter President Chapter President Chapter President Chapter President Director of Alumni Affairs
NAME 7 Elected Officers Rev. Raymond Privott Trebor Jackson Raquel Robinson-Frye Sherrill Lewis Katrina Tunstall Stephen Sims Demetrius Haddock YaKima Rhinehart
COMMITTEES Audit Constitution and Bylaws Fiscal Affairs/Budget Fundraising Future Alumni Membership Nominating Public Relations Recruitment Standards and Performance
NAME Annessia Crawford Rickey Lawrence Jerry Farrior Kelsey McCrae RaGeeni Coleman Raquel Robinson-Frye Beverly Simpson-Smith Richard Sumpter Brandie Meekins Brian Wylie
APPOINTMENTS Amenities Parliamentarian Sergeant-at-Arms Historian News Editor
NAME Tannis Jenkins Wendell Anglin John Eaves Toni Richardson Katrina Tunstall
FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Fred Waddell Chair Robert Wilson Member Gloria Moore/Carter Member Kendrick Faison Member TBD Member
Classes in Reunion Hey Broncos is your reunion drawing near? If you will be celebrating a reunion in the next five years, we’d love to be a part of your planning process. Remember, reunion is about reconnection, reuniting, and recommitting ourselves to our alma mater. If your class would like to present a check to the university during Homecoming or Founders Day, the first step is connecting with the Office of Alumni Affairs to begin planning your fundraising campaign, and reunion activities.
Homecoming Homecoming '19 '19 Broncos Untamed
Broncos Untamed
Save- the - date
Save- the -9.30.19 date Homecoming week starts
10.6.19 Homecoming Game
Host Hotels:
Homecoming week starts
9.30.19
Embassy Suites 4760 Lake Valley Dr, Fayetteville, NC 28303 • 910-779-1416
Spring Hill Suites 4750 Lake Valley Dr, Fayetteville, NC 28303 • 910-860-3000
Sold Out of Block Rooms!
Sold Out of Block Rooms!
Hilton Garden Inn 4025 Sycamore Dairy Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28303 • 910-860-3600
www.uncfsu.edu/Homecoming # B R O N C O S U N TA M E D
10.6.19
All hotels off of Skibo Homecoming GameRd.
NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, INC.
Fallen Broncos
June Quarterly Meeting:
Ethyl Barnes, ’56
June 22, 2019
Holiday Inn Express 1706 Skibo Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28303 • 910-867-6777
JC Jones Board Room, Chesnutt Library
Annie Dew ’55
Sam Gatlin Pippen, ’66
Herbert Eugene Tatum, Jr., ’48 &’58
www.uncfsu.edu/Homecoming # B R O N C O S U N TA M E D
Jessie McCoy Jefferson, ’63 Nelson Hendon, ’64 Mae Ellen Tyson Flowers ’46
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Pre-Law Students Attend Mid-West Black Law Students Conference The Blue & White
Five Fayetteville State University Pre-Law students attended the Mid-West Black Law Students Association (BLSA) Conference in Chicago recently. The five students plan to attend law school in either 2019 or 2020. The students toured two law schools, met and networked with dozens of current law students attending Midwest schools, participated in BLSA plenaries and career development sessions, had a private, meet-and-greet with Justice Neville (the only African American Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court), attended a reception with the Kwame Raul, the newly appointed Illinois Attorney General, and attended a motivational seminar by Ashley Kirkwood, Esq., author of the book, The Law School Hustle. The students who attended are:
• Brandon Person-Boyd—C/O 2020, Pre-Law Society Member, and FSU Bronco Football Team Member • Brittany Reaves—C/O 2019, Pre-Law Society Member and Associate since 2014, Cumberland International ECHS Graduate 2018, President of newly developed Early College High School Club • Glenwood Avery—C/O 2019, Pre-Law Society Member, Mr. FSU, and President of Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. • Johnai Hinesmon—C/O 2019, Pre-Law Society Member, and Cumberland International ECHS Graduate 2018 • Shelby Holloman—C/O 2019, President of the Pre-Law Society, and Cross Creek Early College High School graduate 2016
Erykah Briggs-White By Bria Battle
Erykah Briggs-White is a senior at Fayetteville State University (FSU) majoring in healthcare administration with a minor in health information technology. She credits Fayetteville State University for helping her define confidence, developing her leadership skills, and gaining lifelong friendships. Throughout her time spent at FSU, Erykah has served as a member of the FSU Royal Court, Student Government Association, Dean’s Student Advisory Council, Healthcare Administration Society and many other organizations. Her academic accomplishments include the Dean’s List, Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholar, Ronald E McNair Scholar, Food Lion American Day Scholar and White House HBCU Competitiveness Scholar. While at Fayetteville State University, Erykah has completed three internships: University of Michigan’s Summer Enrichment Program, Ronald E McNair Post Baccalaureate Program and the Duke Energy Power the Workforce Internship program. During Summer 2018, Erykah interned in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the University of Michigan Summer Enrichment Program in the School of Public Health alongside twenty-one other aspiring healthcare professionals During this eight-week experience, Erykah interned with Trinity Health Senior Communities where she was placed in the department of Human Resources and focused on turnover and retention in long-term care communities. She also participated in lectures, community service events, GRE preparation, research, and networking. Concerning her experience in Michigan, Erykah states that “Fayetteville State University and the Ronald E McNair 56
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program gave me the courage to apply and the skills to perform. “Through her completion of the Summer Enrichment Program, Erykah has been able to connect with the vast University of Michigan alumni networks and assigned mentors—creating future opportunities for FSU students interested in this program. One of Erykah’s greatest accomplishments is being selected as an HBCU Competitiveness Scholar through the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Sixty-three students from fifty-four Historically Black Colleges and Universities were chosen to serve as ambassadors for their universities to act as liaisons with the U.S Department of Education. Every student chosen was nominated by their chancellor or university president for demonstrating academic excellence,
entrepreneurial ethos, and a go-getter spirit. As her senior year at FSU nears its end, Erykah has obtained two full-time job offers in her desired career field. Also, she has been admitted into The University of Alabama at Birmingham Health Services Administration Master’s Program which is ranked #2 Best Healthcare management program by U.S News. She also will be completing an internship with Health Career Connection this summer. Erykah is very eager to see where her life after graduation will take her. But there is one thing that she knows for sure, that she will continue to carry the teachings of her alma mater with her wherever she goes.
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FSU Students Win Best Business Case Award from NASA Heather Vivian, an MBA student at Fayetteville State University (FSU), was recognized for the best business case presented to the NASA “Space Tank” team, similar to the “Shark Tank” program. Vivian and her teammates, Lenore Miller, undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Materials Science, and Anjel Castro, an undergraduate student at the Department of Biological Science, presented their business case on “Molecular Sequencing and Biocontaminant Identification Device (MoSBiD)” for pathogens detection and identification, an invention of Fayetteville State University. The FSU team competed against nine other universities from across the United States. The competition started in November 2018 when all competing teams 58
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submitted their innovation proposals. NASA selected ten finalist teams and requested that they submit their business cases in writing and present them in person to NASA’s Space Tank on March 14. The business case surrounding the MoSBiD invention was supervised by Prof. Assad Tavakoli, W.T. Brown Endowed Chair in the Broadwell College of Business and Economics at FSU. About Fayetteville State University Fayetteville State University is a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina and the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state, having been founded in 1867. FSU offers degrees
at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. With more than 6,300 students, Fayetteville State University is among the most diverse institutions in the nation. To learn more about Fayetteville State University, visit https://www.uncfsu.edu. Chancellor James A. Anderson is the 11th chief executive officer.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Pledges $100K Endowment to FSU Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA), in partnership with the Educational Advancement Foundation (EAF), has pledged an endowment in the amount of $100,000 to Fayetteville State University as a part of the organization’s AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund.
“Our organization has pledged to donate a total of $10 million dollars towards the endowment, and we are honored to provide Fayetteville State University the first $50,000 during our February event as we celebrate Black History Month and the legacies of all HBCUs.”
On February 28, 2019, Fayetteville State University’s own Chancellor James Anderson came together with 31 other presidents of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at the Alpha Kappa Alpha International Headquarters in Chicago to accept the first installment of the award in the amount of $50,000.
The historic event gathered presidents from HBCUs across the nation and featured remarks from Dr. Glenda Glover as well as a tour of the iconic and recently renovated Ivy Center International Headquarters in the Hyde Park neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.
“Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. has implemented the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund with the goal of investing in the future of our young people and the sustainability of our treasured HBCUs,” said Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. International President, Dr. Glenda Glover.
“I can’t thank Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and International President Dr. Glenda Glover enough for the generous gift to Fayetteville State University,” said Chancellor James A. Anderson. “This donation to our endowment is a testimony to the sorority’s continued support of
education and scholarship. This gift also is indicative of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s commitment and dedication to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and the sorority’s desire to see them thrive and survive.”
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From The Chancellor
September 30-October 6 www.uncfsu.edu/homecoming #BroncosUntamed 60
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Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Fayetteville, NC Permit No. 247
1200 Murchison Road Fayetteville, NC 28301 www.uncfsu.edu
BRONCO
FOOTBALL
2019
SEP 7 (SAT) 6:00 pm
SEP 28 (SAT) 6:00 pm
FSU HALL OF FAME GAME FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. LUTHER NICK JERALDS STADIUM
22ND ANNUAL DOWN EAST VIKING FOOTBALL CLASSIC ROCKY MOUNT, N.C.
VS BENEDICT
SEP 14 (SAT) 6:00 pm
VS WINGATE
MILITARY APPRECIATION GAME FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. LUTHER NICK JERALDS STADIUM SEP 21 (SAT) 6:00 pm
VS LINCON
UNIVERSITY
TITLE IX GAME FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. LUTHER NICK JERALDS STADIUM
VS ELIZABETH
CITY STATE
OCT 19 (SAT) 6:00 pm
VS JOHNSON CHARLOTTE, NC
C. SMITH
OCT 5 (SAT) 6:00 PM
OCT 26 (SAT) 6:00 PM
HOMECOMING FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. LUTHER NICK JERALDS STADIUM
SENIOR DAY / 1000 BRONCOS APPRECIATION FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. LUTHER NICK JERALDS STADIUM
VS CHOWAN
VS ST.
AUGUSTINE’S
OCT 12 (SAT) 6:00 PM
NOV 2 (SAT) 6:00 PM
BALL IN PINK GAME FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. LUTHER NICK JERALDS STADIUM
BLUE BEARS HOMECOMING SALISBURY, NC
VS SHAW
VS LIVINGSTONE
NOV 9 (SAT) 6:00 pm
VS WINSTON-SALEM WINSTON-SALEM, NC
NOV 16 (SAT) 6:00 PM
VS CIAA SALEM, VA.
STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP