Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Xavier University Welcomes the UNCF HBCU Empower Me Tour


We hit the road and brought the tour to the Big Easy making our first visit to Xavier University. As usual we met plenty of impressive students who were happy to interact with us, our sponsors and the experts and celebrities we brought to campus.

We heard great comments about the many workshops and panels and the opportunity to meet the tour participants up close. Here is a brief sample of some of the comments:

"My friend Alicia and I had a great conversation with Amir Windom. He truly inspired me to stick with my major and to stay focused!"

- Rosalyn, Sophomore, Memphis, TN, Chemistry Pre-Pharmacy Major

I enjoyed the cooking demo with Chefs Das and Kevin. Each one of them were unique in their cooking styles, and I loved hearing about their journeys to becoming chefs.

When sitting in on Define Your Pretty, I enjoyed the speakers and the topics. It was a great forum for us women, and some men, to just bring our confidence levels up and to feel even more empowered to take on the world.

- Ava, Senior, Philadelphia, PA, Spanish Major

Participating in the UNCF Tour was a very good experience. The lectures that were offered were very insightful and I feel as though they brought the Xavier community together for a quick second through all those that attended. In the end, I enjoyed it.

- Denitra, Sophomore

The UNCF Empower Me Tour was an awesome experience for myself and my peers. I enjoyed listening to successful African Americans share their words of wisdom with us. It was also a great networking opportunity! It's great to know that they really care about giving back to the community in a mentoring fashion. It was empowering and inspiring!

- Kelsey, Junior, Chicago, IL, Sociology Major

It was another great experience for the tour and the many participants who joined us. Thank you to all who made this tour stop a success!



Monday, October 18, 2010

The UNCF HBCU Empower Me Tour Is Back


We are back and better than ever! The tour kicked off at Hampton University - the real "HU" as they tell us - to start the 2010 - 2011 season of the UNCF HBCU Empower Me Tour. We were happy to start our third year at this historical campus that has always welcomed the tour with open arms.

We thought the best way to recap this tour stop is to bring you the impressions of students who attended the tour, the very people we are doing this for so without anymore delay...

NAJEE CARTER |
SENIOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS MAJOR

“One thing I could really take from the Empower Me Tour was the fact that each speaker and representative of the companies that support the UNCF seemed genuinely interested in the well being of the students. I had a chance to speak with a few of the company representatives that travel with the tour and each rep shared some wonderful tips about the industry I hope to set foot in and even shared with me some possible internship opportunities. I loved the fact that this tour gave us students the opportunity to network with beneficent professionals.”

ELIJAH JONES | JUNIOR, BROADCAST JOURNALISM MAJOR

“I was fascinated with the fact that the tour focused considerably on the betterment of the students. It was refreshing to participate in activities that were designed to educate the students about how to reach success and it was amazing to meet speakers that were eager to share personal life lessons with us so that we may also become just as successful as they are.”

APRIL GEORGE | JUNIOR, MARKETING MAJOR

“The UNCF Empower Me Tour was an exceptionally fulfilling experience for me. It’s not everyday that one would run into an event that is put in place primarily to inspire African American students attending HBCUs to become more than they ever thought possible and unlock the strong leadership qualities in them, that fervent passion to succeed. The word “empower” means to enable and/or emancipate, and each seminar poured into each student a sense of self-assurance, liberating them from the shackles of low expectations society has bound them to. Every time I walked into an activity room, it seemed as if I could feel a wave of motivation and encouragement flow through the aisles and into the ambitions of each individual student. From the games in the Student Center Atrium to the heart-to-heart chats with celebrities that have already found their calling, the aura on Hampton’s campus emitted nothing but positive energy that lasted well past that weekend. I can honestly say that I am proud to have been a part of such a tremendous movement.”

TYRA CAMPER | JUNIOR, PRE- PHARMACY MAJOR

“The Empower Me Tour was an amazing and very refreshing experience. I was honored to attend a seminar entitled “Define Your Pretty” in which celebrity guests Kim Cole, Kita Williams, Monique Jackson and Tatiyana Ali graced us with powerful words of wisdom and encouragement regarding the African American woman’s perception of beauty. After attending that seminar, I left knowing without question that defining who you are enables you to unlock your special gifts and talents.”

MELANIE SPENCER | SENIOR, BUSINESS MAJOR

“I was blown away by the diversity of the companies that support the UNCF and traveled with the tour. From Wells Fargo to CNN, the tour gave us the opportunity to talk with professionals from a wide spectrum of career fields. I also loved the fact that each seminar/workshop was put into place to motivate the students to work diligently towards their ambitions.”

I don't think we could have asked for better comments or stronger praise. It was our pleasure to bring the tour along with our sponsors, presenters and all of the great people who help the tour come together to the campus of Hampton University!