Our trip to Seattle for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Expo was amazing. We rode the bus with other students from different Spokane Public Schools, and we took it as a chance to get to know each other.
I attended a mini-seminar on “Why I Should Attend an HBCU,” and we had students from Howard, Spelman and Morehouse who talked about the connections they had made by attending their respective schools. Even though they all came from different backgrounds, they carried themselves the same way–with respect and dignity. The ladies and gentlemen present had unique stories, but one thing that stood out to me was they all said they “learnt some things that they would not have learnt anywhere else,” and this made me even more curious about HBCUs.
Colleges like Paine College offered instant admission, and me and my sister were honored with both admission and $80,000 worth of merit scholarships each. I talked to a Howard University representative for quite a while, and just before our conversation ended, she told me about their accelerated BS/MD six-year program, which I am interested in. I told her I was going to apply to get into the school, and that’s when she told me that day was the deadline for their Early Action admission. As soon as we got on the bus to come back to Spokane, I started working on my application to Howard University. Thankfully, I had everything drafted out, so the application was smooth. I submitted the application a couple of hours before the deadline.
The most important thing at the expo was the connections I made with students who had traveled from afar. It was not hard to make initial connections, and I was amazed by that. The positive energy everyone showed made the experience even more memorable. Everyone was curious, and that was our common ground. We all valued education and the learning experience in our own ways, but we were in it together. I got turned around a few times in the busy, active environment, but there was always someone willing to walk with me until I reached the right place.
Shoutout to Ms. Shamerica for organizing this special event. Also, big thanks to Mr. Alexander and all the adults present for making sure we were on track and we got what we needed–it means a lot to all of us. If I had not attended that event, I wouldn’t have the knowledge and understanding that I have about HBCUs today. With that being said, I recommend every student to at least check them out. It is worth it.
See more about the expo by going to the Converge Media Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/share/v/1D8wkZ6NEY/.