NCAT alumna to be the first woman and youngest director of football operations

By Sheyla Fairley

22-year-old Jordyn Foster is the first woman and youngest to become the director of football operations at North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC.

According to an article, Foster worked as an intern under JaQuan Respass, the previous director of football operations, and after he “accepted a role with the Arizona Cardinals in football operations” in March 2023, it left a spot open where Foster could fill the position.

After expressing interest in the position, head coach Vincent Brown put “Foster under a three-month interview period before graduation” where Foster took the opportunity to prove she was qualified, and it paid off when Brown told her, “Jordyn, your future is to become the next A&T DFO.”

For more information, read the full article here.

Urban Outfitters partners with five HBCU students to release its Summer Class Collection

By Sheyla Fairley

Urban Outfitters teamed up with five students from Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA (Bishr Burns); Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN (Faith Reeves); North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC (Mike Tambashe); North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC (Mya Harris); and Hampton University, Hampton, VA (Sade Holt) who were a part of UO’s Summer Class Program last year.

As stated in a release, the student interns “worked closely with the UO buying and design teams” and created “outerwear pieces, colorful scarves, graphic tees, and loungewear in the respective colors of their schools.”

This year’s UO Summer Class Collection is now available, with proceeds from the sales resulting in a donation of $55,000 to participating schools.

Comic book illustrator helps Benedict College’s art students print graphic novel about the institution

By Sheyla Fairley

Thanks to a grant by Propel and Apple, senior Elia Allen and other students from Benedict College’s, Columbia, SC, art department were able to produce a graphic novel entitled “The Wonders of An HBCU” with creative direction from Benedict College alumnus and Marvel comic artist Sanford Greene. Allen states that she “hope[s] this graphic novel inspires people to share their story, allow them to dream big.”

“Being able to take my experiences and implement that into the curriculum here on campus was something that was never done before. And I think that’s the part that was so enjoyable seeing them be able to implement their stories in sequential arts,” said Greene.

Read the full article, here.

DC launches HBCU program to create pipeline to local government

By Sheyla Fairley

A new HBCU pipeline program will be available to graduating seniors of Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) — both located in Washington, DC — to have them work in local government.

According to an article, the program will offer “a one-year apprenticeship — a full-time position — to 25 eligible students at each university, who will also be able to take a professional development course offered by the D.C. Department of Employment Services,” and graduates who “complete the program successfully will have the opportunity to receive a salary bump and remain in their jobs.” Positions available for the apprenticeship will include social workers, “support jobs in human resources, Medicaid billing, business analytics and contracting.”

“What we learned is people come to D.C., they come to universities like Howard and UDC — and Johns Hopkins for that matter — because they want to be part of public service,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser. “They have a change-the-world mind-set. … And we want people to know they don’t have to move away, they don’t have to work for a think tank, they don’t have to work for the feds. They can do that in local government.”

For more details, read the full article here.

Author and educator Nathalie Nelson Parker motivates students to read by introducing them to HBCUs

By Sheyla Fairley

Author and educator Nathalie Nelson Parker has teamed up with Birmingham City Schools (BCS) to launch the “I Love My Future HBCU” initiative, inspired partly by Parker’s children’s book of the same title, to promote literacy and introduce HBCUs among students

As stated in a release, the initiative will have “customized programs” that could include “reading to students, leading class discussions, hosting school-wide assemblies with creative keynotes, and helping high school students be better prepared to apply to attend an HBCU.”

Parker’s goal is to inspire “a love for reading and learning, all while introducing students to the rich history of HBCUs, the opportunities the institutions offer, and the contributions HBCUs have made to higher education, the nation, and even the world.”