Leaving home for college can be daunting, but for many incoming Bison, the transition involves more than moving away.
Students from abroad, states without historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and regions with smaller Howard University student populations are preparing to make their mark while finding a home away from home at The Mecca.
Howard can provide a different kind of community for students from parts of the United States where HBCUs are less common, such as Daliyah McClammy, a freshman health science major from Phoenix.
Arizona is one of 31 U.S. states without an HBCU. McClammy was the head of her high school’s Black student union, a tenure she described as having many “ups and downs” from the group’s presence in a predominantly white institution. Nonetheless, she recalled that her central priority of inclusivity remained.
Seeking a supportive university, McClammy now anticipates being surrounded by an ambitious peer group with like-minded goals and aspirations.
“I really just hope that Howard shapes me into a person who is not only confident, but every time [I] step into a room, I truly feel like I belong,” she said.
Howard’s community also extends beyond U.S. borders, drawing students from around the world. Shannon Fawkes, a junior biology major from Nassau, Bahamas and the vice president of Howard University International Pals (HUIPALS) said along with the Office of International Students (OIS) they help international students navigate everyday life at Howard, from registering for classes to finding internships.
Fawkes said they also help international students navigate everyday life at Howard, from finding groceries and registering for classes to accessing internship information.
“There’s a few extra layers that come with being an international student here at Howard. …So just trying to bridge all those tiny gaps to let someone shine as bright as they can,” Fawkes said.
In collaboration with HUIPALS, OIS matches incoming international students with a designated “IPAL.” Each IPAL is typically assigned three students, known as “Palees,” to assist. An IPAL’s responsibilities include checking in with their Palees, helping them navigate classes and serving as an overall mentor.
When many people imagine international students, their first thought sometimes shoots across the global Black diaspora. Sometimes, the international community is even closer to home. Rachel Grant serves as inaugural president of Canada’s first alumni association, representing the provinces of eastern Canada.
A 2019 graduate of the Howard University School of Social Work, she founded the club at the suggestion of a fellow alumni association member, aiming to create community and uplift Canadian youth.
“I think it’s important to help others climb. Honestly, that is the purpose of life: helping the next generation and making life easier for the next generation. Community is where everything starts as well,” Grant said.
Grant shared a piece of advice she wants baby Bison to take to heart as they step into a new chapter at Howard.
“It’s all about balance. You can’t work too hard. You also have to play hard. You have to look after yourself and you have to practice self care,” she said.
One year since its founding, they’ve already hit the ground running with events like their freshman send-off where they gave students including now freshman mechanical engineering major, Zaire Flash, from Ontario, CA, a rundown to prepare for their next four years in D.C.
Flash sealed her choice to attend Howard from family members attending Oakwood University, an HBCU in Alabama, and her welcoming experience from current students and faculty at Howard’s admitted students day.
Chanelle Flash, Zaire’s mother, feared sending her daughter to places she wouldn’t feel seen or known like smaller schools in Canada. She said she isn’t afraid of sending her daughter to Howard, feeling comfortable that she’s going to be among people who look and think like her.
“I believe in her that she’ll make good choices and that she’ll find her crew. [That] she’ll find her group who is like-minded, who is not just there to party and have fun, but also there to learn and graduate from Howard with excellence,” Flash said.
Copy edited by Sydney Middleton