Name : Danielle Magee
HBCU : Tougaloo College
Graduation Year : 2018
Major : Biology
Email : maurieirma2@aol.com
1. Where are you from? Who introduced you to HBCUs?*
I was raised in Normal, Illinois, a town located in central Illinois, two hours south of Chicago.
My dad was the first person to introduce me to HBCUs. He graduated from Tougaloo College, class of '80. Many of my cousins and aunts on my dad's side also attended and graduated from the historical Tougaloo College.
2. Why did you choose an HBCU over a pwi?*
There never was a choice between an HBCU or PWI for me; I was always attending an HBCU, Tougaloo in particular. I remember as a child I grew up with a Tougaloo pennant on my wall, a dad who attended graduations religiously, and all the bulldog paraphernalia you can imagine. It was always my dream to follow in my family's footsteps and attend as well.
HBCUs offer so much history, culture, and life lessons that African Americans often miss out on at PWIs. Though my family has always been lovers and supporters of our black community, I did grow up in a predominately white town and high school. It was my prayer that I would leave my HBCU a stronger African American than when I entered in and I was not let down.
3. What is the story of your "experience" at Your HBCU given its heralded status as a stellar and prestigious institution?*
My experience at Tougaloo was nothing short of life changing. Though my Eagle Queen is a place of higher learning, the students, faculty, and staff on campus quickly became my family from the moment I entered though those white gates. There is always someone to talk to and I never felt alone.
Tougaloo is unique in the fact we have such a small student body. This is a good thing and a bad thing for some (haha). This allowed me to connect on a personal level with most of the students on campus in one way or another. It allowed me to sit in my professors offices everyday to talk about anything from classes to drama. Because of the small size, the "tea" around campus spreads like wildfire. As long as you were not apart of it, you always could get a good laugh. If you missed class -I did not - your professor would always notice which encouraged students to attend class regularly.
Tougaloo offered many unique programs, such as the Jackson Heart Study, the largest single-site epidemiological study with African Americans. In this program I was afforded the opportunity to conduct research from my sophomore to senior year as well as my summers where I traveled out of Mississippi to conduct research.
During my senior year, I was able to become apart of the greatest sorority in the world, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where I gained twenty wonderful sisters who I cherish dearly. OO-OOP!
An HBCU experience, especially at Tougaloo, is something I would not change for the world. Being able to be yourself, see others who look like you, and being able to wear your bonnet around the dorm with no judgement is irreplaceable.
4. "First time" experiences at your HBCU?*
Tougaloo was the first time I:
Attended fried chicken Wednesday and fish Friday
Conducted research
Ate crawfish
Became a valedictorian
Attended What's Up Wednesday
5. Who are the professors that have impacted your life in and out of the classroom? How did they do that?*
Dr. Wendy White, the director of the undergraduate portion of the Jackson Heart Study, has impacted my life greatly. She is a driven, smart, yet sassy and sarcastic teacher who wants the best for all her students. She has helped me to develop professional skills and people skills.
She is always just a text away, being available at even two in the morning if you need to talk about school or personal issues. She is a wonderful professor, director, and person whom everyone should inspire to be like. I thank her greatly for her constant support and encouragement throughout my time at Tougaloo.
https://www.myhbcuinterview.com/interviews...
Posted By: How May I Help You NC
Wednesday, October 3rd 2018 at 5:04PM
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