Tremell Parker, a 20-year-old sophomore from Durham, N.C., is the latest HBCU All-Star chosen to represent Johnson C. Smith University on the national stage. The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities announced his name among this year’s All-Stars class of 73 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, chosen from hundreds of applicants for their accomplishments in academics, leadership and civic engagements. This is the third year of the program, and the third time a JCSU student has been chosen as an All-Star.
Last year Parker, a computer engineering major with a minor in computer science, attracted the attention of JCSU’s then-All-Star, Andronica Klaas, who recognized his potential.
“I saw Tremell would be a good leader right away,” Klaas said. “He had already taken the initiative and worked his way into becoming president of the JCSU chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. It was quite a feat for a freshman. He had the skills and the grades to be a great asset to the program.”
Klaas groomed Parker for the position, sharing her accomplishments and goals from the 2015-16 year and supporting him through the writing of the two qualifying essays, as well as providing encouragement during the waiting period that followed.
“I received the call in August saying I’d made it,” Parker shared. “And I feel so fortunate. Being a leader is more than just standing out to people. It’s having the motivation to do things that you’ve probably never done before, and in turn having an effect on others and making them see the possibilities in themselves. It’s what Andronica did for me, and what I’d like to do for my fellow students.”
The tall, outgoing student is preparing himself for a year of representing JCSU as an HBCU All-Star. To that end, he has founded a leadership development program, Step Up, which cultivates responsibility, respect and determination while helping young people achieve their goals. He hopes to see it grow beyond JCSU’s campus to other HBCUs. He is also laying the groundwork for bringing more networking opportunities to campus and increasing student participation.
Over the next year, Parker will serve as an ambassador by providing outreach opportunities and communicating with other students about the value of both education and the Initiative as a networking source. Using social media, relationships with community-based organizations and sessions with industry professionals, he and his fellow All-Stars will share proven practices that support opportunities for all young people to achieve their educational and career potential.
They will also participate in the White House HBCU Week Conference Oct. 23-25, 2016, national and regional events, and webinars with Initiative staff and other professionals on a range of disciplines that support a spirit of engagement and personal and professional development.
About Johnson C. Smith University
Founded in 1867, Johnson C. Smith University is an independent, close-knit urban university located in Charlotte, N.C. It has a growing national reputation for integrating the liberal arts with business, the sciences and technology in ways that empower tomorrow’s diverse entrepreneurial citizens and leaders to be change agents in their professions and communities. Offering 25 fields of study, including a master’s degree in social work, to more than 1,400 students from a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds, the university’s programs focus on intellectual rigor, social consciousness and global responsibility. Visit
www.jcsu.edu or follow the university on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Wednesday, August 31st 2016 at 3:54PM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...
