My favorite A&T memory is really a season of my life: my senior year, when I had the honor of serving as Miss A&T 1990-91 during our university’s centennial year. A&T had felt like home long before I became a student. I followed in the footsteps of my sister, who served as Miss A&T in 1985. During my years at A&T, I served as Miss Freshman and Miss Gospel Choir before being crowned Miss A&T. 

That senior year was filled with unforgettable milestones. My sister participated in my coronation and sang to me, making an already special moment even more meaningful. While serving as Miss A&T, I also pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., on a line of 41 young women — the “41 Rockabyes” — and my line name was “Connections.” Even more special, my cousin Ginger Cartwright, then a freshman, pledged alongside me on that same line. 

I later had the honor of representing A&T on the national stage and was crowned the 1991 National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Queen, representing the university among historically Black college and university (HBCU) queens from across the country. Serving as Miss A&T gave me more than a crown; it gave me a platform to serve, and that spirit of service has followed me throughout my life. 

But perhaps the greatest gift of my season at A&T was the family I gained. My line sisters, my advisor Dr. Judy Rashid, my chemistry department — I can still name my professors because they weren’t just my professors – they were part of my village. More than 30 years later, that village is still there. That’s the beauty of an HBCU. You may arrive on campus as a student, but you leave with a family that follows you for a lifetime. 

To me, family is more than the people connected to me by blood. Family is also the people you choose, the people who choose you, and the people who keep choosing you through every season of your life. A&T chose me, and I chose A&T — and more than 30 years later, we’re still choosing each other. That’s my Aggie family. That’s home. 

Aggie Pride!