Jermaine Swagerty
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Jermaine Swagerty S.O. What! Success Story

One thing in life that we all need is SUPPORT. And that comes in different forms from different people. It’s hurtful when it doesn’t come from where you expect it, but it’s beautiful and encouraging when it comes from unexpected places. When…
Tanisha Pugh
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Tanisha Pugh S.O. What! Success Story

Do you remember your high school Biology class?  Connected to dissecting a frog is my memory of my classmate, Tanisha (Johnson) Pugh. It actually goes back to elementary school but most vivid are my memories from Biology class. When we…
Greg Caesar
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Greg Caesar S.O. What! Success Story

What are some of the positive moments in your life that you’ll never forget? One of those moments for me was when as a teen mother I stood on the football field at halftime during the University of Memphis homecoming game in October 2000. And…
Odell Bizzell
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Odell Bizzell S.O. What! Success Story

Doesn’t it feel good when you meet someone doing the same thing as you and they immediately cheer you on and offer real help? I met Odell Bizzell as part of the National Speakers Association a few years ago but really got to know him when…
Dr. Shirley Raines
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An Uncommon Journey: Dr. Shirley Raines S.O. What! Success Story

When I entered college in 1997, I quickly got involved in various organizations including the Student Ambassador Board. This is where I interacted with the university president, Dr. Shirley Raines. Surprisingly, I didn’t pay much attention…
Dr. Beverly Bond
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Dr. Beverly Bond S.O. What! Success Story

No, I did not get excited when I signed up for an 8 am history class every Tuesday and Thursday morning.  I was not a morning person nor a history-lover. Although Dr. Beverly Bond did not make it easy for me to get up early, she did make…
Coach Shirley McCray
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Coach Shirley McCray S.O. What! Success Story

The older I get the more I appreciate and want to know more about the history and the people who make an impact on it.  One of those people is Coach Shirley McCray - the first female coach of a men’s football team. A fellow University…
Marcus Heaston
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Marcus Heaston S.O. What! Success Story

It’s funny when you meet someone who has “known” you for 20 years. Because I’m on a mission to impact as many youth and young adults as possible with the S.O. What! Literacy, Life Skills, and Character Education Curriculum, I am always…
Sha’Quille Fuller
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Photographer, Father, Future PhD: Sha’Quille Fuller S.O. What! Success Story

Just when I thought I wore a lot of hats. I met someone (Sha’Quille Fuller) who wears a few more and maybe bigger hats. Yet he still made time to volunteer one of his many talents to the fundraiser I created for the S.O. What! Foundation.…