My Sisterhood That Came With Team Sports

Transitioning from a predominantly white community to a historically black college and university was a culture shock. I did not realize what I was missing in both my identity and culture. When I stepped on campus, I felt it was important to connect with women my age, especially since I don’t have a sister. I loved the sisterhood that came with team sports, but I also wanted a connection outside of sports.

Alabama A&M University Homecoming step show 2004, I remember walking into the gym with one of my teammates and seeing a stage of women wearing crimson and cream. My teammate said, “that’s going to be us,” and I soon found out they were Deltas. I remember the excitement I felt as I watched in awe of their performance. After that night, I wanted to join them on stage. I began to notice them on campus. As I matriculated through college, I had classes with some women who were Deltas. I admired how they thought, how they carried themselves, and how they treated others.

When I moved back to Athens, I became a member of the Athens High School Alumni Association. Growing up in this community, I knew the importance of giving back. I have coached a sixth grade girl’s AAU basketball team in Limestone County. I would often attend Athens High School girl’s basketball practices and games. I wanted to mentor these young ladies, pass down my basketball skills, and be a positive role model. My goal with the Alumni Association is to incorporate activities and events that I experienced in college. We began hosting an annual Alumni basketball game, homecoming festivities, and raising money for scholarships. With the help of the group, we have been able to successfully accomplish these goals.

Education has always been a top priority for me. Early on in life, my parents taught me the importance of having a college education. I received a basketball scholarship from Alabama A&M University, and I completed my Bachelor’s in Biology/Pre-med in 2008. Upon graduation, I decided to become a pharmacist. I began working as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens. Shortly after, I wanted to further my education, so I pursued a Masters in Health Administration. During the process of applying to pharmacy school, I asked my college coach to write a recommendation letter for my public service. To my surprise, she offered me the graduate assistant job. I enrolled in the Master’s of Microbiology program and continued my Master’s in Health Administration while working at Walgreens. In 2012, I was accepted into Florida A&M University’s College of Pharmacy program. Before starting pharmacy school, I was able to finish my Master’s of Health Administration. I graduated with my Doctorate in Pharmacy in 2016 and moved back to my hometown of Athens.

At Alabama A&M University, I developed life-long relationships with women who were first my teammates and became more like sisters. We truly developed a sisterhood, and I am forever grateful. Since I returned home in 2016, each year I have organized our alumnae homecoming gathering and tailgating. I made an effort to form new relationships with the current coaches and players to include them in our events as well. Even though it takes a lot of time and effort, every year I look forward to planning homecoming weekend.

If I am chosen for membership into Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, I vow to remain active and financial, participate in public service events, and maintain a lifetime commitment to the Limestone, Lawrence, and Morgan County areas. I would like to thank you for your time and consideration.