My younger cousin will be heading off to school in the fall. He is so excited – I am equally excited for him! It seems as though it was only yesterday that I was making that huge step to The Fort Valley State University. Through high school I always had a mentor to guide my success and insure that I stayed ahead of the crowd. Once you fall behind, it could be agony to get back where you need to be. I had a guidance counselor, Mrs. J, who was more like a mother-figure to me. She would pull me out of class to ask about my homework and to ensure that I was getting all I needed. She retired last year. The school system of Clayton County lost one of the greatest then. Mrs. J was a mature graduate from Oakwood University in Alabama. She was a strong advocate for promoting her students to attend HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities), but she did not discourage the advantages of attending a PWI (predominately white institution). There are pros and cons to both – Do your research...
You enter a room and the people end their tasks and instantly gaze at you! They rush over to you anxiously anticipating what you're going to say. Your conversation and mannerisms are well polished with the very best of what the American educational system has to offer. The content of your conversation flows over a large array of topics and interests. Your dialect reeks of Southern persuasion. Your skin bleeds all shades of brown. You keep them coming back. You have just created "The Experience".