Inside TSU 2015 | Page 36

Dear President Rudley, I hope my letter finds you well. I am writing for a number of reasons. As you know, I am a recent graduate of Texas Southern University. While I am still rejoicing in the milestone of graduating, I am also taking the time to reflect on my collegiate years. I have a few thoughts I would like to share about my journey. When I first transferred from Baylor as a pre-med student, I always received the question “why”? I was asked by both TSU affiliates and non TSU affiliates. Initially, my response would always be for financial reasons, which was true due to my lack of enough financial aid to fund my Baylor education. For my entire first year that remained my response, as l focused only on my grades as a business student determined to prove everyone wrong who insisted I should have stayed at Baylor. However, I realized I was being asked “why TSU” so many times that I seriously started questioning myself. From time to time, especially during trips back to Baylor to visit friends, I would wonder if I made the right decision to leave what I had believed to be my dream school. My vision coming into TSU was clouded by so many negative opinions and falsified narratives, it took some extensive time for me to actually open up and fall in love with my university. Today I wonder what all I could have accomplished and experienced if I had started at TSU my freshman year with the pride and school spirit that I have now. I may not have realized it before, but Texas Southern University has always been my home. From the moment I became registered as a TSU Tiger to the moment you embraced me as I crossed the stage to receive my diploma. To hear you tell me “I am so proud of you, I need a hug!” made all the difference in the world. It is common to hear that at an HBCU, a student is more than just a number but, I know at TSU I am actually valued for my worth. Here’s why: I read over my resume often, but it is usually