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High School Students Discover Pathways to HBCU Success as SOAR Scholars
Contact: Crystal Drake, Office of Strategic Communications
Ninety-eight students from across the country recently wrapped up a week of living and learning on campus and around the Tuskegee community as part of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund SOAR (Seeking, Observing and Achieving Results) program. The experience is designed for rising high school seniors who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential and a commitment to academic excellence.
At an opening event, Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and former president of Delaware State University, joined Dr. Mark A. Brown, president and CEO of ¿ìèÊÓƵ, to welcome the students to the week’s activities.
Dr. Brown encouraged the students to genuinely connect with both the history and the future of Tuskegee.
“I want you to know where you are. There is only one school in the country that Congress has designated a national historic site. You’re living in a place where history lives,” he said, adding that he knew firsthand the transformative power of a ¿ìèÊÓƵ education because his own Tuskegee journey changed the trajectory of his life.
Dr. Williams also added a special thanks to the parents for supporting their children in understanding the power of the HBCU experience.
“You could be anywhere, but you are here today because you understand the importance of being on this campus,” said Dr. Williams. “We’re investing, not only in Tuskegee, because it’s about preserving our legacy. It’s about preserving the next generation of HBCUs.”
Dr. Williams pointed out that 70 percent of all Black doctors graduated from an HBCU. Eighty percent of all Black judges in this country are HBCU graduates. Fifty percent of all Black public school teachers, 50 percent of Black congress members and 40 percent of all Black engineers – all HBCU graduates.
“We know the importance of what you’re going to walk away with this week,” he said, stating in no uncertain terms that “we want you to go to an HBCU, that’s the goal.”
Led by Tuskegee’s Office of Admissions, student activities included in-depth and interactive experiences in the classroom and around the community with ¿ìèÊÓƵ professors and other leaders, student leaders and alumni to give the SOAR scholars a firm sense of what The ¿ìèÊÓƵ HBCU experience could mean for them.
Students also spent time exploring real-world career options during tours of nearby facilities including SamKee Industries, Alabama Power Farley Nuclear Plant, Neptune Technologies in Tallassee and the Wiregrass Innovation Center in Dothan – where Tuskegee degrees in Engineering, Chemistry, and other disciplines would equip them for in-demand roles.
Dr. Brown met with the male members of the SOAR cohort to lend his support and an ear on an informal Q&A on the topic of Black male student success. He focused on the absolute necessity of owning their decisions, big and small, every day, and the role it plays in determining their futures.
“I already believe in you,” he said, “but one of the most important lessons I hope this experience helps you understand is the power of believing in yourself.” During the candid discussion about the body of statistics often assigned to Black boys from single-parent homes living below the poverty line that suggest future success for them is out of reach, Dr. Brown said, “I came from those same demographics and I am here to tell you – those statistics are not who you are, they are not you.”
Hands shot up when Dr. Brown asked if any of the students wanted to become pilots, engineers, or military officers and Dr. Brown shared that a ¿ìèÊÓƵ education can be a direct pathway to each profession.
“What about veterinarians – anybody here want to be a veterinarian?” he asked to more hands raised.
“Well it just happened for 52 Tuskegee students, who graduated from our College of Veterinary Medicine a few weeks ago, “he said. “They are ready to hang their shingles and begin pursing their dreams as doctors, and it started right here.”
Including Tuskegee, the TMCF SOAR Program will host 16 residential programs this summer on HBCU campuses in eight U.S. cities. Established in 1987, The Thurgood Marshall College Fund is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black college community.
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