Here at Tuskegee CAENS, we love to hear about the experiences our students have with their journey of higher education. Our latest series highlights real experiences from real students and alumni across the school, revealing that their time at TU brings them growth beyond education.
Finding Balance| Lessons from a Tuskegee Alumni
I am a 2012 graduate of Tuskegee University, where I received a B.S. in Business Administration, and I currently work as a Contracting Officer in the United States Air Force.
Being a Californian, it was always my intention to attend a HBCU. While I was grateful for my multicultural upbringings in California, I always felt a greater understanding of every other culture but my own. I applied to several HBCU’s and decided the determining factor would be the scholarships I received from the schools I was admitted into. Fortunately, Tuskegee offered me a full academic scholarship. Unfortunately, the school wasn’t even on my radar. Looking back, accepting that scholarship and deciding to attend Tuskegee University was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
The first time I stepped foot on TU’s campus was in August 2008 when my mother dropped me off to begin my higher education. From that day to my graduation, I made some of my closest friends and learned some of my toughest lessons at TU. On my first day at TU, I promised myself that I would take advantage of every opportunity that was available to me there and that I would graduate with no regrets.
At Tuskegee I was able to expand my mind, receive an education, mature, and learn the real definition of resilience. I was inducted into the Alpha Kappa Mu honor society, pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and Pi Sigma Epsilon, participated in Rave Revue Modeling Troupe, was the SGA Events Coordinator, ran for Miss Tuskegee University and placed as First Attendant, was a member of the California Club, and was the Wing Commander for Tuskegee University’s ROTC Detachment 015. My peers constantly asked me how I was able to participate in so many activities and my response was always balance. The balance of those activities molded me into the woman I am today and taught me just how important mastering balance is.
Finding balance wasn’t always easy for me, but it was always achievable. Tuskegee’s location in the rural South ironically added to my success. It really helped me maintain focus, since outside of the university, there wasn’t much else to distract you. The school’s location also fostered a family mentality among my professors and fellow students. This culture makes you feel like you are constantly supported. I am also happy to say that the family aspect carries on beyond graduation. Attending TU has left me with so many priceless memories, lifelong relationships, an impeccable networking circle, education to excel in my career, and bragging rights that I walked the same halls that giants like General Chappie James, Lonnie Johnson, Rickey Smiley, Betty Shabazz, Ralph Ellison, and of course George Washington Carver walked before me.
-Letica Hunt '12 | Bachelors of Science in Business Administration
