CONNECT . MOTIVATE . INSPIRE .
“I ULTIMATELY CHOSE HAMPTON UNIVERSITY BECAUSE ITS ATMOSPHERE, CULTURE, AND SPIRIT RESONATED WITH MY OWN PERSONALITY. IT TRULY FELT LIKE “MY SCHOOL” AND A PLACE WHERE I COULD CALL HOME.”
thrilled me. Despite my parents’ alma mater and other HBCUs being options, I ultimately chose Hampton University because its atmosphere, culture, and spirit resonated with my own personality. It truly felt like ‘my school’ and a place where I could call home.”
to serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team of New TSI Holding, Inc., a $1.3B publicly traded company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Ms. Williams provides leadership and direction across all areas of human resources to meet the strategic needs of the company, and the acquisition of top talent while initiating efforts to promote diversity and inclusion, employee productivity, retention, and satisfaction. When making the decision as to where she would matriculate, Ms. Williams stated, “I knew I wanted to attend an HBCU over a PWI primarily because the culture and experience at an HBCU are far more relatable and welcoming! The student body and faculty look like me and are far more familiar with the challenges and opportunities the Black and brown communities face. [In] attending an HBCU over a PWI, there is a higher probability that an HBCU would provide more of a specific focus with the curriculum and support I needed, smaller classes, and a sense of community to be successful in my higher learning journey
and preparedness for the workforce and society in general. Additionally, a PWI is far more expensive than an HBCU. It just didn’t make logical sense to me to choose a PWI over an HBCU. Not to mention the lack of diversity and representation a PWI lacks compared to an HBCU. Representation matters!” Ms. Williams added, “I had a scholarship opportunity to attend Alabama A&M, but chose TSU. I wanted to carry the Big Blue TSU Legacy. Legacy is about history, tradition, pride, honor, and family to me. All these things resonated with me so deeply and it was in my heart and soul to attend TSU because it felt like home and a way for me to pay homage and respect to my parents who were the first to receive college degrees in their family. Both of my parents are TSU alumni and after attending all the football games with my parents as a child, it was my dream to be a majorette for the TSU Grammy Award- winning Aristocrat of Bands! I’m even more proud that my daughter decided to carry this legacy on, and she too is a Tennessee State University Alumna. We all bleed Big Blue, including
my brother and sisters.”
These reflections are what differentiates HBCUs from other institutions of higher learning: they are our family. We are surrounded by people who are first and foremost committed to our success. More than any other group, the majority view of African Americans is that of a monolithic group - our actions reflect either positively or negatively on all of us. There is a parental firmness that our professors have with us - we are clear they are not our parents, but we know they genuinely care for us and our well- being. And many of us maintain relationships with our favorites throughout our lives - they attend our weddings, we visit them when we are in town, they bless us with gifts for our baby showers, we tend to their elderly parents in their absence - all reflections of family. HBCU alumni and graduates also have a unique bond with one another. We cheer for the alumni of our fellow institutions, we wear their paraphernalia in support, we donate to assist when they face challenges because that is what you
“[Hampton] gave me a top-tier education and
cultivated a profound sense of purpose, character, and resilience. By prioritizing academic excellence, Hampton has nurtured my intellectual growth and equipped me with the tools necessary to confront the trials of the real world. Moreover, the university’s unwavering dedication to social responsibility has influenced my personal growth. Grounded in a legacy of pursuing social justice and equality, Hampton ignited a desire to effect positive change in my community.” HBCU’s are also fertile ground where many “firsts” were raised, including Howard alumna US Vice- President Kamala Harris and Tennessee State University alumna Melissa Williams, the first African American vice president of human resources and the first
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