The best trip I have ever taken was on a tour bus going up the southern east coast. I went on it when I was a sophomore in High School. It was a trip I took with the YMCA Black Achievers (now called the Teen Achievers). It was a college tour visiting HBCU’s (Historical Black Colleges & Universities). That one little tour that I took from April 20, 2008 through April 26, 2008 would change my life forever. Before I was not that interested in college, but now I know I will be going to college for sure!
The college tour helped me understand how important college is for African Americans. Many decades ago we were not allowed to go to schools with other Caucasian kids. This made African Americans create schools for their race. These schools were founded during a difficult time in America, and now some of those HBCU’s are now top schools in America. Like Spelman College located in Atlanta, Georgia and Howard University located in Washington, DC.
The first college that I visited was North Carolina A&T State University. I remember being on that campus and I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were so many students who were African American. I never heard of so many kids go to these schools. I always heard that African Americans didn’t go to college, but whoever said that was very much wrong. These students were like everyone else. They came from the same tough areas and were in the same predicament other African Americans might be in. Some told me that they were the first person in their family to go to college. I’m not the first person in my family to go to college but I want to follow in the footsteps of my older cousins. I was also very surprised when one student said that all types of other races went to HBCU. At North Carolina A&T State University there are 80% African American students, 10% Caucasian students and 10% other. That surprised me very much because that proved that other races went to HBCU.
On April 22, 2008, I visited the college that I knew I would love. It was Spelman College. I heard about the Spelman College all the time and some family friends went there when they were younger. It was a Historical Black College for women. It was an incredible school, and I knew that I had to do whatever I possibly could to attend Spelman. Spelman is a very expensive school, and you have to have a high ranking GPA to get in, but I believe I can surely get in.
The heritage behind the Colleges and Universities was just so incredible. Some of these schools were founded in the 1800’s around the time of the Civil War. It made me proud the think about how my ancestors made these schools to further educate me. I want to be a part of that legacy and go to an HBCU.
Going on that tour changed so many things for the better in my life. That tour helped me grow up and choose what type of college I want to attend. It changed my future in such a big way. My future college is going to be an HBCU. Every African American should look to attend an HBCU. In fact every American should look at a college to attend. If I change my mind and don’t attend an HBCU, I won’t suffer because there are many other colleges in my future. I simply can’t imagine my own future without a great college education!
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