tigercubs - december 2011
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Tennessee State University magazine for young alumni, ages 21-35TRANSCRIPT
VOLUME 1 | Number 1
FALL 2011
December 2011 Inaugural Issue
The magazine for recent alumni of Tennessee State UniversityTwenty-one to thirty-five year olds
TIGER CUBSAlumni MagazineAlumni Magazine
Miss Bermuda 2011prepares for Miss World
University President
Portia Holmes Shields, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for
Alumni Relations and Development
William C. Nelsen, Ph.D.
Tennessee State University3500 John A. Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209-1561www.tnstate.edu
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Tennessee State UniversityTiger CUBS Magazine
December 2011 Inaugural Issue
Volume 1, Number 1
Tiger CUBS, produced by Tennessee State University
(TSU) features stories on current achievements made by
our young alumni (twenty-one to thirty-five year olds).
This magazine includes events and other news on the
professional and personal developments of our young
alumni.
The December 2011 issue of Tiger CUBS is the inaugural
issue. The magazine is published by the Office of
University Publications and is published twice a year.
Copyright © Tennessee State University
Alumni address changes or
additions may be sent to:
Office of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving
Tennessee State University
P. O. Box 9534
3500 John A. Merritt Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37209-1561
Office of University Publications
Director
K. Dawn Rutledge
Publisher-in-Chief
Nannette Carter Martin
Photographer
John S. Cross
Design and Layout
Nannette Carter Martin
Follow us on:
TIGER CUBS DECEmBER Fall 2011 l Inaugural issueA l u m n i M a g a z i n eA l u m n i M a g a z i n e
FortE
Finds Passion in FashionP. 14
FEATURES
3 Message from the President
4 DANIEL HIBBERT
Hibbert’s John Merritt Boulevardjourney leads him to Wall Street
6 CHRIS TAyLOR
Taylor credits TSU for avenueto success ... the internship
8 JANA OUTERBRIDGE
Miss Bermuda 2011 prepares for Miss World
10 WARREN DEAN, VEntrepreneurial focus turns to educational dream
12 CHAUNCEy DAVIS, M.D.TSU professors assist, Davis achievesdream of becoming a doctor
14 TONy FORTE
Forte finds passion in fashion
Cover art and photography credits:
Top right: Bengal Tiger Cub. Photo courtesy of theNashville Zoo at Grassmere, Nashville, Tennessee.
Center: Jana Outerbridge (‘10) was crowned MissBermuda in 2011. Photo courtesy of Glenn Tucker,The Royal Gazette.
CONTENTS
IN THIS ISSUE
16 List of TSU National Alumni Association
Chapters
INSIDE BACK COVER
TSU 2012 EVENTS
Centennial Celebration Week
Centennial Scholarship Gala
Homecoming Week
and more...
2
3
Message from the President
December 16, 2011
Dear Tennessee State University young alumni, Tiger CUBS,
It is with great pleasure that I introduce the inaugural issue of the Tennessee State University Tiger CUBS Magazine,a new creation at your alma mater.
This magazine targets the recent alumni of TSU, most notably the twenty-one to thirty-five year olds. Within the pagesof this first edition, you will find stories highlighting achievements and contributions of some of them.
As you will see in this new publication, a showcase of young talent that our esteemed university has produced and youwill hear the account of their endeavors as they have made outstanding marks in their professional fields, communities,in the country and around the world. Communicate this great news to others, and share with the university yoursuccesses. We’d love to include your story in an upcoming issue.
Recently, you were sent information about the True Blue Class Challenge. I thank those of you who responded and Iinvite you all to be among the influential alumni who financially support TSU. If you have not received thecommunication, please contact:
Office of Alumni Relations and Annual GivingTennessee State University3500 John A. Merritt Blvd.P.O. Box 9534Nashville, TN 37209-1561
Office telephone: 615-963-5831Fax number: 615-963-5882
With open arms and a TSU blue heart, I invite you to return to your alma mater in 2012 to celebrate the 100th Anniversary
as Tennessee State University continues to sustain the legacy of excellence, resilience, and unity. you’ll receive muchmore information about our centennial programs and special events.
With Tiger pride,
Portia H. Shields, Ph.D.President
When Daniel Hibbert was a young man growing up in Lansing,
Mich., he watched as men from historically black colleges and
universities (HBCUs) came home for holiday breaks. For him,
they exuded an impressive confidence.
It was hard to describe that experience, he said, but “whatever
you call it – ‘the HBCU experience’ – I wanted that.” Little did
he know years later that cycle would repeat itself and he would
be student other young men and boys from his hometown would
one day look up to as role model.
Hibbert found his way to Tennessee State University during his
junior year of high school, when he participated in a Black
College Tour with the historic institution among one of its stops.
“We came down during SEC (South East Conference) Week,”
he said. “We saw the Greeks and that had me engaged as a 17-
year-old high school student.” Hibbert, who majored in
mechanical engineering, knew well the reputation of TSU’s
engineering school, but wanted to know more. He listened
attentively to three presentations by the engineering department,
and together those experiences sold him on TSU as his school
of choice. He enrolled in the fall of 2004.
Hibbert described his days as an undergraduate student as having
much depth. As an engineering student, he felt held to a higher
standard. Not only did the experience assist him with personal
and social development, it also pushed him academically
allowing him opportunities to participate in research
collaborations with NASA, several engineering conferences and
the Thurgood Marshall Program.
“The Honors Program was the driving force behind my
academic development,” he said, adding that the Honors
Program taught him to take ownership of the university, and
what he could do to impact it and lead and influence his peers.
Hibbert graduated in May 2009 and accepted a position in the
futures industry at Goldman Sachs in Chicago, Illinois, working
in both the institutional and high frequency sides of the
company. Less than two years later, he transferred to the
Goldman Sachs headquarters in New york, where he works with
Hibbert’s John Merritt
Boulevard journey leads him to
Wall Street
Top photo: Hibbert speaking to 150 students in New york about strengths-baseddevelopment during the year Up organization workshop. Featured in New YorkTimes, Fast Company, and Fortune magazines, year Up is a thriving non-profitwith the mission to close the opportunity divide by providing urban youth withskills needed to reach their full potential professionally and academically.
Middle photo: Hibbert, 2011.
Bottom photo: In Chicago, Hibbert volunteered with “youth About Business,”an organization which aims to provide high school students with exposure tobusiness and entrepreneurship. With other banking and finance professionals,Hibbert provided advice on how to compose a strong business plan.
by Nannette Carter Martin
4
Hibbert continues to stay connected to TSU through various opportunities to interact with current students. Earlier this year, he served as a guestspeaker at the TSU Leadership Conference, speaking to students from several schools across the southeast about strengths-based leadership aswell as transitioning from college to the corporate world.
large hedge fund institutional clients on operational
strategies, managing risks and relationships.
Looking back, Hibbert said TSU served as an incubator in
helping him achieve success in his present career.
“When you have professors who are willing to sit down
and talk with you about some of the small aspects that you
can’t get in a textbook, that one-on-one interaction of
developing you not only as a student or an engineer, but as
a man, I think those things gave me a competitive
advantage when I came out into the real world,” Hibbert
said. “I came out with a level of confidence that said, ‘Hey,
I can step out on Wall Street with anybody.’ I don’t care if
you went to Harvard or yale; I had the preparation with
my professors, with my mentors at Tennessee State
University.”
As an undergraduate student, Daniel Hibbert began his
service to the university early. He, along with a few of his
peers, started a program called The Dream Project,
providing mentorship and guidance for freshmen men on
the campus.
In addition to devoting time, Hibbert also understands the
importance of giving back to the university financially,
saying, “We have an obligation to sow back into what it
was that allowed us to get where we are.”
Hibbert is excited about TSU’s centennial celebration,
which he says provides today’s students an opportunity to
be a part of a historic event. He feels it is important they
take advantage of the opportunity to talk with alumni and
share the TSU story with the next generation of graduates.
By helping students make the connection between what
goes on in the classroom and their future work in the real
world, Hibbert believes alumni can continue the
university’s rich legacy of academics and service.
“We love TSU history,” he said. “Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Dr.
Levi Watkins, Wilma Rudolph – but we need to stay
relevant for today’s students.”
5
Taylor credits TSU
for avenue to success ...
the internship
Chris Taylor (’08) has a message to offer future graduates
of Tennessee State University as he encourages them to
focus on academics, faculty mentorships, internships and
service to organizations.
“While at TSU, you need to do well in the classroom, and
get to know the different students and the faculty, and
then to serve in organizations there,” Taylor said.
“Students should take on internships during the summer
and, preferably, in different places each summer. Anyone
who does that, the sky is the limit for what you want to
do. If you do well on those things, then TSU provides the
opportunity to go anywhere, wherever it is that you want
to go.”
A native of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., a small city positioned
south of Nashville and nearing the Alabama border,
Taylor’s Tennessee State University experience started in
the fall of 2004 when he made the university his choice
in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences
with a concentration in agribusiness, and a minor in
mathematics.
According to Taylor, “I toured the campus during the
summer between my junior and senior year of high
school and I really liked it,” adding that the university’s
Honors Program, campus size, and faculty and staff were
top selling points for him. “One of the biggest things for
me was the Honors Program. I believed in them and that
type of experience.”
“I really enjoyed the people there – very friendly, very
energetic. I stayed on campus the first three years – that
was great, too. The faculty really cares about the students
and how you do and have a very approachable demeanor.
For example, if I wanted to work on some research with
some professors, they were open to that. It was a lot of
support from the faculty especially in the Honors
Program and the agriculture sciences faculty, pretty much
everyone. It was a great experience.”
Chris Taylor is currently a Ph.D. student and research assistantat the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
by Nannette Carter Martin
6
Taylor credits the College of Agriculture for introducing
him to an avenue for success in both his academic and
work career through internships with the federal
government, including the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS). He said current and future students should take
advantage of summer internships as well.
“Upon graduation, I was sent to one of the field offices,
which are located around the country. They gave me the
choice of Madison, Wisconsin, and the education plus the
experience led to coming to graduate school here at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison).
“I knew my long term goal was to go to graduate school
for agricultural economics so I thought UW-Madison
would be a really great place to go because Madison is
such a great city and the university is home to the world’s
first agricultural economics department.”
Taylor is currently pursuing the Master/Ph.D. in the
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, in
which he anticipates completing in Fall 2013. In only his
second year, Taylor was awarded the Willard F. “Fritz”
Mueller Fellowship. The prestigious fellowship is named
after one of the pioneers of “industrial organization,” a
field in economics that deals with situations where there
isn’t perfect competition.
“My first goal is to work for the agency (NASS) that I
am working for now as an agricultural economist. They
actually have a research and development division in
Fairfax, Virginia which is right outside of Washington,
D.C. Hopefully it will work out but if it doesn’t maybe I
can go into academia. It would always be great to go back
to TSU and join the faculty there.”
Taylor believes that TSU prepared him well with an
education leading to his present career. “It was essential.
Without all of the opportunities TSU provided, I don’t
think any of this could have happened. It was a great
education and there are a lot of really great opportunities
there [at TSU].”
During his time at TSU, Taylor was actively involved as
a member and, in some cases, an officer in the Honors
Program, Golden Key International Honor Society, Phi
Eta Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi and MANRRS or Minorities
in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences.
Taylor and his wife, Tanya (’08) are proud contributors
to TSU. “We donate money to the Honors Program, the
Department of Agricultural Sciences and to TSU. We try
to stay in contact with the people there,” Taylor said.
Chris Taylor (standing, 2nd from right) and fellow students appear with Dr. ElinorOstrom (seated, left front), co-winner of the 2009 Nobel Memorial Prize inEconomic Sciences while she presented the plenary address for the 17th annualFall Ecology Symposium, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Willard F. “Fritz” Mueller engages in conversation with Chris Taylor, 2010graduate fellowship recipient.
7
There's more to Miss Bermuda Jana Outerbridge than
meets the eye.
The 22-year-old graduated from Tennessee State
University with a degree in psychology; and
volunteers regularly at Wind-Reach, a
recreational and development facility for the
disabled.
Since winning the coveted pageant title in
June, she's been working to instil (sic)
confidence in the Island's young people,
speaking at graduations and charity events.
And in the weeks ahead she will be preparing
for her biggest challenge to date taking the
stage alongside 120 other beauties in Miss
World on November 6.
Miss Outerbridge believes “this experience
was meant to be for me”. She said she is
thankful to have been given a platform to serve
as a role model and help others in need.
She credits her parents Glenda and Gregory
Outerbridge Sr; the women of the Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority; and university professor Jocelyn Irby
for believing in her.
But she said her rise to becoming a well-balanced young
lady was not without its challenges.
Miss Outerbridge was adopted by her parents at the tender age of
three months. “I am not sure what my life would look like
without them. I am truly grateful for them and for believing in
me,” she said.
Miss Bermuda 2011
prepares for Miss World
Miss Bermuda pageant winner Jana Outerbridge poses for a photo shoot
at the Spanish Point Boat Club Wednesday. She is preparing to head off
to the Miss World competition and is having a fund raiser to help with
the expenses. (Photo by Glenn Tucker)
by Nadia Arandjelovic
Published Sep 16, 2011 at 8:04 am
Reprinted from The Royal Gazette.
http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20110916/NEWS/709169987
8
*Editor’s Note: Jana Lynn Outerbridge, a 2010 graduate of TennesseeState University, recently competed in the Miss World 2011 pageantrepresenting Bermuda. Outerbridge was among 113 contestants whoparticipated in the competition, in which Miss Venezuela, Ivian Sarcos,was ultimately crowned Miss World 2011. In the Beach Beauty segmentof the competition, Outerbridge was named among the Top 20.
She hopes to encourage others in
similar situations to embrace any
positive parental figures they have in
their lives, even if they are not their
biological parents.
“That is one thing I hope I can have
an impact on other people as well,”
she said.
“I do not come from a perfect
situation but I have used every
opportunity and challenge that has
come my way and have decided to
turn it around and use it in a positive
way.”
In preparation for the upcoming
pageant, Miss Outerbridge has been
running and “doing lots of lunges” to
prepare physically.
She has also been taking yoga classes
to help prepare mentally for her
moment in the spotlight.
The former Cabinet Office intern is
also staying up to date on issues
happening around the world by
watching British Broadcasting
Company (BBC) news, in case any
questions arise about global affairs.
“Other than that I am just talking to
myself and staying aware that I can
do it. It will be a challenge but I
know I can do it.”
Though Miss Outerbridge is
occasionally compared to the Island's
1979 Miss World winner, Gina
Swainson, she said there is no
pressure to follow in her footsteps.
“When people speak to me they
always say I remind them of how she
was, her poise and elegance, and I
hope to exude that in the
competition.
“But I believe this is a different day
and I am not competing at the same
time that she was competing. Still I
believe the package I am delivering
is unique and I am comfortable with
that no matter what the outcome is.”
Miss Outerbridge said she has been
feeling “anxious and excited about
the opportunity that is about to
present itself”.
She added: “Right now I am not
nervous. I feel confident about
myself and what I have to offer and
hopefully I stay that way throughout
the time leading up to the
competition.
“One thing I will say is I made a
decision before this happened that,
regardless of the result, I would
always stay true to myself. And I
think I have remained the same.”
Two year old Max Canon Wallace gives Miss Bermuda pageant winner Jana Outerbridge a kisss at the Spanish
point Boat Club Wednesday. She is preparing to head off to the Miss World competition and is having a fund
raiser to help with the expenses.
(Photo by Glenn Tucker)
Update: The TSU alumnae, Jana Outerbridge,
Miss Bermuda 2011, honored her country as a
contestant in the Miss World pageant on November
6, 2011 in London, England.
Photo above: Jana Outerbridge departed for the
world competition and wore a custom-made
runway version of the Bermuda Gombey cultural
dress.
Photo left: Jana Outerbridge said goodbye to her
cousin Cairo Tucker, age three, at the airport as she
and her parents prepared for the exciting journey.
(Photos by Akil Simmons)
9
EntrEprEnEurial Focus turns to Educational drEam
Warren Dean, V was on the fast-track to
entrepreneurship with an interest in joining his
family’s third generation construction and
contracting businesses. But one never knows
where life’s road will take you, and the moment
this contractor’s son met one particular Tennessee
State University alumnus, his life changed
course.
Dean’s chance encounter with the late
Raymond Stratton, a TSU financial aid
professional, left him to re-evaluate his
plans after high school graduation.
Dean’s father brought him along to do
some work on Stratton’s home, and
while there, Stratton asked young Dean
some pertinent questions about his
grades and future aspirations.
Although construction was the family
business, Stratton encouraged Dean to
think about college and to focus on
bringing his grades up to a 3.0 over the
next year for a potential scholarship to
attend Tennessee State University.
Following the conversation with
Stratton, Dean began to think about
college as an option in his future.
In the fall of 2006, Dean entered the “only”
university for which he applied, Tennessee
State University, and decided to major in the
biological sciences. He was assigned an advisor
who turned out to be the wife of the gentleman
who recruited him to TSU, Dr. Martha Walker
Stratton.
“It was a humbling experience,” he said, adding
that the responsibility given to him was key in his
development as a young scholar. His participation
in higher level research sharpened his skills. In
addition, Dean said the experiences he had while
a student at TSU also sharpened skills that he
already had but wasn’t aware that he possessed.
Warren Dean, V is pictured above during his tenure (2009-
2010 academic year) as president of the Tennessee State
University Student Government Association.
by Nannette Carter Martin
10
During his junior and senior years, Dean found himself
engaged in several research opportunities, which opened the
door for him to earn other scholarships. He joined the
American Medical Student Association, the Collegiate 100
and was eventually elected president of the Student
Government Association. Through the Minority Access to
Research Careers (MARC) Program at Meharry Medical
College, Dean was involved in research opportunities on
Parkinson’s and other oncological diseases.
“My experience at TSU was truly transforming where they
basically took a little, naïve boy and gave him the
experiences, confidence and ability needed to go out and be
a productive citizen in this country,” he said.
Dean spent many hours by his professor’s side being
mentored in the world of scientific research. yet, along the
way, he discovered a passion for teaching.
Although the 2011 graduate majored in biology with a
concentration in pre-medical studies, he is currently in his
first-year as an educator teaching middle school students at
Smithson-Craighead Academy, a Nashville charter school.
Through his affiliation with the national organization, Teach
for America (TFA), an organization designed to help
children in poverty get the best education possible, he has
connected with other educators and realizes his life’s work
actually started before he graduated from college.
As an undergraduate, Dean gave his time to TSU by
mentoring other students, helping them see that they are
valuable, providing his expertise, and basically sharing his
life with others. He continues those efforts today and is busy
setting up a pipeline on the TSU campus for TFA. As one
of the first people to be selected to TFA straight out of
undergraduate school, Dean felt a responsibility to figure
out why TSU wasn’t represented in this organization at the
level it should be, and to help the university increase the
number of students coming into the program.
Presently, he is continuing graduate studies in education at
Lipscomb University in Nashville. Although he’s a full-
time teacher, attending medical school is still a dream he
hopes to achieve in the next two years. His interests are
internal medicine and cardiology, but his options remain
open.
“I definitely believe in something that is higher than me. I
believe in God and I believe that he purposed everyone, and
for that reason I find purpose in people,” he said. “We are
all purposed for something that is greater than ourselves.”
Left to right: Dr. Tasneem Siddiquee, assistant professor in Chemistry, advisedand mentored Warren Dean as an Undergraduate Research and Creative Arts(UReCA) student.
Left: Dean instructs students in the classroom and is completing his two-yearcommitment to teaching at Smithson-Craighead Academy Middle School locatedin Nashville, Tenn., as a fifth grade mathematics and science teacher.
11
TSU professorsassist, Davisachieves dream ofbecoming a doctor
by Nannette Carter Martin
When Chauncey Davis, M.D., attended a college
recruitment session in 2001 at her high school in Albany,
Ga., she had no idea she would end up at Tennessee State
University. A chance meeting with a former president of the
Tennessee State University National Alumni Association
Albany Georgia Chapter led Davis to apply for admission
to the university.
Davis, who had an interest in pre-medicine at that time,
credits the visit to her school by the former president of
TSUNAA Albany Chapter for peeking her interest in
attending TSU. During that visit, Davis was told about the
exciting opportunities available at TSU for those interested
in pre-medicine and she was encouraged to apply for a
presidential scholarship.
“It pretty much was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Davis said.
“The next semester I was there.”
Davis successfully received the presidential scholarship, and
in 2005 graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She
fondly looks back on her undergraduate years, in which she
was an active student on campus, participating in the Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and also serving as Student
Government Association president.
“I had an amazing amount of resources at my fingertips,”
she recalled. “I had amazing professors who were very
caring and very involved. They took an active role in my
education and in the education of those around me.”
Davis is pictured in 2005 during graduation from
Tennessee State University where she received the
Bachelor of Science in Biology.
Chauncey Davis serves in the U.S. Air Force and is a pediatric resident
at the San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas.
12
While she didn’t have a strong interest in research, Davis
participated in an internship at the University of Cincinnati
Medical School the summer following her junior year.
In her senior year
Davis applied for
medical school, but
her scores on the
Medical College
Admission Test
(MCAT) were not
high enough for
entry. Fortunately,
Meharry Medical
College in Nashville
remained in contact
and offered her a
position in their post-
baccalaureate program providing Davis with an additional
year to become prepared for medical school. Davis related
that even though things don’t always turn out the way you
expect the first time, you have to stay focused and continue
to work toward your dream.
On her second attempt, Davis did pass the MCAT exam and
was admitted to Meharry. She received her Doctor of
Medicine degree in 2010. Presently, she serves in the Air
Force and is a pediatric resident at the San Antonio Military
Medical Center in Texas.
Davis said TSU prepared her well for her present career. “I
had really great professors who had long-reaching effects in
my personal development,” she said, crediting her mentors
and others in the Department of Biology for contributing to
her success. “They knew well the students who wanted to
pursue professional careers, and they really took the time to
help us get prepared.”
Despite obligations and distance, Davis has found
opportunities to give back to her alma mater over the last
few years, both financially and with other resources. Since
graduating, Davis has done some of her own recruiting by
sharing her personal experiences with high school students
in her hometown and encouraging freshmen and
sophomores to stay the course. She has made several trips
back to campus as part of the Honors’ young Alumni
Affinity group in which one of the main focuses has been
on mentoring and encouraging current students.
Davis’ advice to present TSU students is to embrace the
experiences they get in the classroom as well as within the
TSU community and to use them to become productive
members of society.
“I really think Tennessee State, in large part, helped me to
get where I am today,” she said. “I am a living example. I
know many others who graduated with me who are doing
amazing things, and [current TSU students] can be a part of
that as well.”
A joyous occasion! Davis is photographed in
academic attire for her Meharry Medical College
graduation in 2010.
While attending Meharry Medical College, Chauncey Davis participated in a
community health fair conducted in 2006.
Davis lives and works her dream as seen here in 2010 on the pediatric
ward at San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas.
13
College was always in the plan for Tony Forte and his
family, especially his mother. The Atlanta native
definitely desired to graduate from a historically black
university (HBCU) and made his way to Nashville to
enroll at Tennessee State University in 1998.
His four years as an undergraduate were spent earning a
Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration
in marketing, coupled with internships in the field of
fashion specializing in sales, branding and youth trend
culture. Today, he looks back on that experience and
shares some of the principles for life and career he
acquired along the way with current TSU students.
“I had a wonderful experience as a student,” Forte said.
“I think TSU is what you make of it.”
During his tenure as a student, Forte was actively
involved in student activities. He was president of the
Advertising Club, a member of the Student Government
Association, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, a resident
assistant and served as Mr. TSU. Forte related that being
actively involved in campus activities led to his character
development and prepared him for the trials, as well as
the opportunities, he would face. He believes those
experiences made him a leader comfortable in his own
skin.
Forte presently lives in New york and is working for
Nike, Inc., where he manages corporate sales. He also
founded a Website for young adults –
UrbanProfessor.com – an online publication facilitating
successful transitions for young adults to young
professionals. The site has become a leading resource for
young adults who seek an understanding and exposure to
life skills and career preparation tools.
“Sometimes you are going to get it right, and sometimes
you are going to get it wrong,” Forte said. “But what is
important is how I kept trying, and that is what TSU
prepared me for the most. TSU gave me a sense of a
home.”
Forte
Finds Passion in Fashion
by Nannette Carter Martin
Tony Forte (‘02), current Sportswear key account executive at Nike, Inc.;founder and editorial director for Urban Professor, LLC.
14
Forte said he came up in the entertainment field. During
his junior year at TSU, he began working with music and
fashion icon Sean “Puffy” Combs and Sean John Clothing.
He started making contacts with Combs and through those
connections he learned the merchandising business.
By his senior year, Forte was balancing work and school
attending classes during the week, then working as an
intern traveling to surrounding cities, such as Atlanta or
Memphis, on the weekends to promote the Sean John
Clothing line in department stores. Three months after
graduation, he was hired full-time and moved to New york
to work as a general assistant.
From the beginning, Forte’s job was all encompassing
from assisting with sales and learning retail mathematics
and ‘gophering’ to small details and assisting the president
of the company.
“I kind of worked my way up from there,” he said. “I did
that for my first two years out of school, assisting full-time
account executives. My main break came in 2004 with the
presidential election in which they put me in charge of
running sales for the country; and that was when
everything kind of took off.”
Additionally, he also started working with the National
Basketball Association (NBA) at national locations. He left
Sean John in 2006 and went to work with another fashion
icon, Russell Simmons at Phat Farm. However, his goal
was to land a national position and move from Phat Farm
to Nike, where he’s been ever since.
Forte, a 2002 graduate, remains active with his alma mater.
He is currently president of the Honors Program Alumni
Affinity Group. Forte said learning to give back through
service, talents or financial gifts is something students need
to start thinking about while they are still attending the
university.
Forte has a message for TSU students and the university
as a whole. “It is no one else’s responsibility but your own
to go after your dreams and to decide success for yourself.
A lot of times we think that TSU is supposed to be the ‘tell-
it-all answer’ to achieving our dreams,” Forte said. “your
education is a resource, so take the experiences you are
getting at TSU and decide if you want to give back.
Whether it is cash, through mentoring or helping other
students with intern opportunities; whatever they are
asking that you give back, it is necessary that you feel it in
your heart.”
Forte, founder and editorial director for Urban Professor.com travels toU.S. universities sharing his insights on career opportunities to Sponsorsfor Educational Opportunity College Scholars. 2011, NYU School of Law.
15
2011 TSU AlumniAssociationChapter Presidents
ABSOLUTELY AXMs. Tiffany Dobson(865) 385-7735 (C)[email protected]
ALPHA THETA NETWORKRev. Tony C. Evans, Sr.(856) 541-6385 (O)[email protected]
ATLANTAMr. Maurice Granger(678) 416-5730 [email protected]
AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIOMs. Patricia Merritt(210) [email protected]
BAND CHAPTERMs. Michelle Allen615-963-5330 (O)[email protected]
BASKETBALLMr. Rossie Johnson III(626) 964-0439 (H)[email protected]
BETA OMICRONMr. Erwin P. Hill(773) [email protected]
BIRMINGHAMMs. Iona Martin(205) 202-3406 (H)[email protected]
CENTRAL ARKANSASMr. Shedrick Warren, III(501) [email protected]
CHATTANOOGADr. Barbara Wofford(423) 698-1125 (H)[email protected]
CHICAGOMr. Gary Walker(773) 814-4271 (H)[email protected]
CINCINNATIMr. James W. Isabel(513) 631-1553 (H)[email protected]
CLARKSVILLE TNMr. Phil Petrie, Jr.(931) 552-6784Philwpetriejr @hotmail.com
CLEVELANDMr. Steven Robertson(216) 921-1129 (H)[email protected]
COLORADOMr. Ronald Wooding(720) [email protected]
DALLAS/METROPLEXMs. Angela Berry(214) [email protected]
DAYTON OHIOMr. Clarence L. Johnson(937) [email protected]
DETROITMrs. Rita L. Jordan(313) 506-2932 (H)[email protected]
EAST TNMr. Logan Hill(865) [email protected]
ENGINEERINGMs. Dwan D. Austin(423) 305-1442 (H)[email protected]
FOOTBALL Mr. Jerrold McRae, Sr.(615) 963-7909 (O)[email protected]
FORT LAUDERDALEMs. Deidra Johnson(954) 484-3988 (H)[email protected]
FOUNDING FATHERS BASEBALLMr. Gregory Goodwin(678) 464-6796 (H)[email protected]
GARY-NORTHWESTMr. Darrick Harris(219) 689-3128
GREATER GALLATIN Mr. Frank Brinkley(615) 452-6515 (H)[email protected]
GREATER ST. LOUISMs. Delicia Stephens(314)-395-1580 (H)(314)-749-6108 (C)[email protected] (primary)[email protected]
HARDEMAN COUNTYMr. Johnnie W. Lake(731) 658-2179 (H)[email protected]
HAYWOOD COUNTYMs. Quince Outlaw(731) 772-1933 (H)
HOUSTONMr. Sean Landry(713) 436-2467 (H)[email protected]
HUNTSVILLE ALMr. Roy Williamson(256) 722-3188 (H)[email protected]
INDIANAPOLISMs. Youlanda [email protected]
JACKSON TNDr. Sarah Chatman(731) 664-1042 (H)[email protected]
JACKSON MSMr. Chris Cockrell (601) [email protected]
LOS ANGELESMr. Franklin J. Henderson(323) 293-0547 (H)[email protected]
LOUISVILLEMr. Frederick Liggin(502) [email protected]
MEMPHISMrs. Gertrude Scruggs(901)743-9229 (H)[email protected]
MILWAUKEEMr. Gregory Williams(414) 430-7474(C)[email protected]
MONTGOMERY ALMr. Joseph T. Nash(334) 281-6692 (H)[email protected]
NASHVILLEMs. Sandra D. H. Hunt [email protected]
NEW YORKMr. Walter Mason(516) 377-3820 [email protected]
RHO PSIMr. Rick Jones(615) [email protected]
TAMPA BAY AREAMr. Robert LaMarr Buggs(813) [email protected]
TN SOUTH CENTRALMr. Melvin Turner(931) 728-6590 (H)[email protected]
UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAMMr. Tony Forte(615) [email protected]
VISION OF ALPHA WOMENMs. Cynthia Hendricks(404) [email protected] [email protected]
WASHINGTONMs. Chandra Champion(202) 491-1239(W)[email protected]
ZETA ALPHA ALUMNIMr. Dwight A. Webster(615) [email protected]
16
Save the Date!
Tennessee State University Upcoming EventsTennessee State University Upcoming Events
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION WEEKAPRIL 14-21, 2012
Tennessee State University, Nashville’s only public university, is gear-ing up for a festive birthday celebration that will highlight its tradi-tions, legacy, alumni, academic and athletics excellence.
Founded June 19, 1912, TSU will celebrate its 100th anniversary dur-ing the week of April 14-21, 2012.
Join us in the celebration!
WOMEN OF LEGEND AND MERIT AWARDS
MARCH 15, 2012
34TH ANNUAL RESEARCH SyMPOSIUM
MARCH 26-31, 2012
CENTENNIAL SCHOLARSHIP GALA
“MOTOWN IN REVUE”
APRIL 21, 2012
TSU SPRING COMMENCEMENT
MAy 5, 2012
TSU FOUNDERS’ DAy
JUNE 19, 2012
HOMECOMING WEEK 2012
SEPTEMBER 23-29, 2012
GAME DAY - SEPT. 29TH
MORE GREAT AND EXCITING TSU EVENTS TO ATTEND DURING 2012...
TIGER CUBSAlumni MagazineAlumni Magazine
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Office of publications3500 John A. Merritt blvd.Nashville, Tennessee 37209-1561
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The Walter S. Davis Humanities Building (old “Administration Building”), originally occupied in 1933, was renovated and enlarged in 1967 and1997. The Cupola atop the building was donated November 24, 1949 by the Tennessee State University National Alumni Association. The buildinghouses the Thomas E. Poag Auditorium, the Department of Languages, Literature and Philosophy, and the Division of Communication andInformation Technologies (CIT). Historical information adapted from Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State University, Bulletin Announcements 1969-1970, Vol. LVI, No. 5 and Tennessee State University, Undergraduate Catalog 2011-2013, VOL. LXXIII-2011-2013. (photo courtesy of Tennessee State University)
Visit us online: www.tnstate.edu/alumnirelations
History: The Cupola and Walter S. Davis Administration Building