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Florida A&M University (FAMU) started the first leg of its “President’s Tour: FAMU Up Close and Personal” Saturday, March 8 to a crowd of about 275 in Pensacola and awarded scholarships totaling $1,964,000 during its trek across Florida.
The first scholarship was awarded to Nelson James, a senior at Lawton Chiles High School in Tallahassee, who is a National Achievement finalist. James joined the tour in Tallahassee and traveled to Pensacola and Dothan on the tour bus. He received the Life Gets Better Scholarship that covers the cost of tuition, fees, room and board, and books for four years. The scholarship also includes a $500 stipend each semester, internships and a laptop.
“This is pretty exciting,” said James. “I was hoping for a scholarship, but I wasn’t expecting to get it. It’s a great incentive to come to FAMU.”
During the tour, student leaders told their personal stories about how FAMU inspired them to achieve excellence.
The FAMU connection told FAMU’s story through song and dance and FAMU President James H. Ammons provided university highlights and encouraged students to not only pursue a bachelor’s degree, but to earn a graduate degree and become change agents, solving some of the world’s problems.
“We are counting on you to find a cure for AIDS and other diseases that impact the African American community,” Ammons said. “Who will have the passion that you will to find a cure? Who will solve the health issues plaguing minorities and America in general? Who will discover the next break through in physics that will advance the technology of the future? Who will step up to the plate? You must step up to the plate. America’s future depends on it.”
FAMU did a repeat of its program in Dothan, Alabama at Greater Beulah Baptist Church where additional scholarships were awarded. A framed picture of the tours’ logo and a cake were presented to Ammons in celebration of the first anniversary of his confirmation date for the FAMU presidency.
“When I knew the vote would take place on March 8th, I knew it was confirmation that pursuing the presidency was the right thing for me,” said Ammons. “March 8 was also my mother’s birthday.”
In Jacksonville at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Fellowship Hall, the church had FAMU Day. During the morning service, the university’s recruitment video “Legend of the Hill” was played and Ammons was given an opportunity to address the congregation.
Later in the fellowship hall, he awarded scholarships totaling $346,000.
In Daytona, Ammons awarded a second Life Gets Better Scholarship to Earl Twiggs, a senior at Flagler Palm Coast High School, valued at $80,000.
“I was about to cry when they told me I got the scholarship,” said Twiggs. “My mom doesn’t have to pay for my college. FAMU came to me early showing interest.”
The crowd in Miami was the largest encountered by FAMU during the tour. More than 800 students, parents and alumni packed the auditorium at Booker T. Washington High School. In Sarasota, nearly 200 parents and students packed into the Sarasota Hotel and Marina banquet hall to attend the educational fair.
“It was a great opportunity for FAMU to tell its story up close and personal,” said Ammons. “We wanted to increase awareness throughout the state about the progress that we have made at the university and we achieved that goal. We wanted students and their parents to know that FAMU remains a leading institution of higher learning, in spite of our financial challenges, and that they can get to where they need to go professionally from Florida A&M University.”
Here’s a listing of the scholarship awards:
TALLAHASSEE — $80,000
Nelson James, $80,000
Chiles High School
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA — $128,000
Haley Bengtson, $50,000
Washington High School
Kerstin Fleming, $50,000
Pensacola High School
Destany Moorer, $12,000
?Pensacola High School
Keelyn Fleming $8,000
Pensacola High School
Simp McCorvey, $8,000
Pine Forest High School
DOTHAN, ALABAMA — $32,000
Ashley N. Robert, $10,000
Chipola Community College
Erin Witt, $10,000
Chipola Community Colleg
Robert L. Ashley, Jr. $4,000
Gulf Coast Community College
Povshia R. Hall, $4,000
Pike County High School
Mathias Sweet, $4,000
Gulf Coast Community College
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — $298,000
Seygourney L. Gilbert $40,000
Stanton Prep
Bernice Green $40,000
Paxon School for Advanced Studies
Trinity Lewis $40,000
First Coast High School
Takiyah Walls $20,000
Drop Back in Academy
Melissa Brown $16,000?
Paxson Sas
Joran M. Hadley $16,000
Terry Parker High School
Roger Jefferson $16,000
Bradford High School
Standrell J. Nicholson $12,000
Englewood High School
Olivia Wheatley $12,000
Englewood High School
Brone Allen $12,000
Andrew Jackson High School
Tia Cohens $12,000
Palatka High School
Rhian A. Sutherland $12,000
Stanton College Prep
Staycee Harper $10,000
Florida Community College
Nijah A. Crawford $8,000
Paxon School for Advance Studies
Elisabeth Drayton $8,000
Paxon School for Advance Studies
Angelica Jade Eliam $8,000
Andrew Jackson High School
Breeme Murray $8,000
Lee High School
Brea S. Parks $8,000
William M. Raines High School
DAYTONA BEACH — $358,000
Earl Twiggs $80,000
Flager Palm Coast
Trenton Campbell $40,000
Miramar High School
Matthew Davis $40,000
Leesburg High School
Kourtney Johnson $40,000
West Orange High School
Janeel Medlock, $40,000
Mainland High School
Samuel Mwenda, $40,000
Mainland High School
Darrell Coleman $20,000
Ocoee High School
Llaurtis Cruz $12,000
Seminole High School
Violeta Barac $10,000
Valencia Community College
Nyemachi Ejiowhor $10,000
Seminole Community College
Megan Stone $10,000
Rockledge High School
Arabeka Sewdath $8,000
Rockledge High School
Brian Smith $8,000
Rockledge High School
BELLE GLADE — $180,000
Jaime A. Oliva, $40,000
Glade Central High School
L.A. Porce, $40,000
Glade Central High School
Uzuri Collier, $12,000
Glade Central High School
Mychael Hollis, $12,000
Glade Central High School
Aspi Lane, $12,000
Glade Central High School
Oscar Martinez, $12,000
Glade Central High School
Lakeisha Ramsey, $8,000
Glade Central High School
Alonzo Vereen, $8,000
Glade Central High School
Vionni A. Brown, $4,000
Glade Central High School
Christopher Deosaran, $4,000
Glade Central High School
Letica Gomez, $4,000
Glade Central High School
Christina A. Graham, $4,000
Glade Central High School
W.S. Johnson, $4,000
Glade Central High School
Juliette Joseph, $4,000
Glade Central High School
Kristen D. Lockett, $4,000
Glade Central High School
Ramon Pacheco, $4,000
Glade Central High School
Joykeria Pittman, $4,000
Glade Central High School
MIAMI — $636,000
Michael Conward, $40,000
Coral Gables Senior High School
Marlon Davy, $40,000
Palmetto High School
Gray L. Tomerce, $40,000
Pompano Beach High School
Phillip M. Jackson, $40,000
Booker T. Washington
April Johnson, $40,000
Dr. Micheal M. Krop Senior High School
Kraij Johnson, $40,000
Southern Miami Senior High School
Robert L. Nolan, III, $40,000
Stranahan High School
Stephen I Okon, $40,000
Dr. Micheal M. Kropp Senior High
Matthew A. Rodney, $40,000
College Academy
Alelandro G. Sealey, $40,000
School for Advanced Studies
Orlando Wooten, $40,000
Pembroke Pines Charter High School
Cara Victoria Reaves, $20,000
Coral Gables Senior High School
Stephanie F. Aristice, $12,000
Alexander Jean Stephan Jobson-Jones, $12,000
South Plantation High School
Victoria McKnight, $12,000
North Miami Senior High
Jordan Neal, $12,000
Pace High School
Dahlia O. Taylor, $12,000
Broward Community College
Alaine Sharpe, $12,000
School for Advanced Studies
Clifton G. Webb, $12,000
Broward Community College
Danielle Allen, $10,000
Broward Community College
Maxo Louis, $10,000
Miami Dade Community College
Kandice Rollins, $10,000
Broward Community College
Mark Zapata, $10,000
Miami Dade College
Lloyd B. Ballard, $8,000
Coral Reef Senior High School
Adriene Clemons, $8,000
North Miami Beach Senior High
Pamela Emekekwve, $8,000
America Senior High School
Danielle Kenon, $8,000
Dillard High School
Kia N. Kirkland, $8,000
Everglades High School
Chelsa Williams, $8,000
New World School of the Arts
Tramayne Chappelle, $4,000
Miami Dade Community College
SARASOTA — $252,000
Gavin Carter, $80,000
Hillsborough High
Saurabh Narkhede, $40,000
Tampa Bay Technical High
Terra Finlay, $12,000
Ceary Adult
Vietna Huynh, $12,000
Manatee Community College
Edward James, III, $12,000
Pine View School
Loan Nguyen, $12,000
St. Petersburg College
Duyen Vo, $12,000
Manatee Community College
Joseph Buckley, $10,000
Hillsborough Community College
Stephanie Lazier, $10,000
Hillsborough Community College
Aljejandro Furnells, $8,000
Chamberlin High
Sarena Hicks, $8,000
Westcoast School
Amos Landers, $8,000
Grace Christian School
Jessica Nichols, $8,000
Middleton High
Mikhail Scott, $8,000
Palmetto High
Christina Stewart, $8,000
H W Blake High
Tyree Revange, $4,000
Manatee Community College
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