Rosie Phillips Davis
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Dr. Rosie Phillips Davis: S.O. What! Success Story

Dr. Rosie Phillips Davis went from poverty to a Ph.D. and has inspired thousands of people along the way. As a nineteen-year-old black female college student, I’ll never forget the day I saw Dr. Rosie Phillips Davis (known to me as Dr.…
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3 Lessons From Hosting the 40th Distinguished Alumni Awards at the University of Memphis

In 2019 when I became the president of the University of Memphis Alumni Association National Board of Directors, hosting the 40th Distinguished Alumni Awards (DAA) program was something I looked forward to doing at the end of my term. For…
Cherryl Pigues Crite
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Cherryl Pigues Crite: S.O. What! Success Story

Homelessness, breast cancer, domestic violence, and more. Cherryl Pigues Crite has been through a lot. I can see so much in her eyes.  The pain of what she’s been through, and the passion to help women. Strength, beauty, resilience.…
Darrell Cobbins
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Darrell Cobbins: S.O. What! Success Story

Cool, calm, and collected. When I think of Darrell Cobbins those are the words that immediately come to mind.  In addition to professional, inspiring, and just cool. All of which I had the privilege of experiencing as a fellow University…
Erica Nathan
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Erica Nathan: S.O. What! Success Story

You know that friend with so many gifts and talents that you’re amazed by all they are able to do?  Fittingly, I met Erica Nathan at church through a mutual friend. Also, fittingly, she was stylish and her hair was laid. As an evangelist,…
National Speakers Association Black National Speakers Association Greg Smith Strength Award Winner Summer Owens
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How Winning a National Speakers Strength Award Inspires Strength in Others

When I came home from school on my first day of kindergarten, my mom quizzed me about my teacher's name. I excitedly repsonded, "Mrs. Muscles!". Her name was actually Mrs. Armstrong, but that memory always makes me smile even through pain…
Fred Jones Jr
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Fred Jones Jr: S.O. What! Success Story

When I moved to Memphis for college in the fall of 1997, one of the first events I just had to attend was the Southern Heritage Classic.  At the time (and for years after), it was just an amazing gathering where I was guaranteed to see friends,…
new student orientation guides
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Three Crucial Tips for College Students in New Student Orientation Programs

For most students, going to college comes with a variety of thoughts and emotions. Excitement, fear, hope, anxiety, curiousity, and uncertainty are common feelings. Those feelings are often amplified if you're a first-generation college student…
Derek Ryan
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Derek Ryan S.O. What! Success Story

Have you ever connected with someone over a testimony? I’m not sure exactly how it started, but when I met Derek Ryan it seems like our first words to each other were our testimonies.  Our stories. Seeing the amazing place he was…