BREAKING BARRIERS
STUDENT PANEL II
STUDENT PANEL II
| SESSION XIX: STUDENT PANEL II Henson Center 2126, 3:30 - 5:00 pm Session Chair: Mignon Anderson, University of Maryland Eastern Shore Lakisha Black, Amy Cuello, Kendra Thomas, Tabitha Jones and Mercedes Terrell, University of Maryland Eastern Shore Lakisha Black says, "The stolen education from the past leads to gaining the knowledge necessary in an effort to excel in life. I am a hard working, dedicated, optimistic, independent young African-American woman who is running a competitive race striving for excellence in the society in which I live." She is determined to seek the knowledge and understanding to know what it takes to come in front. Therefore, she applied to UMES, "the school of Equality and Opportunity." Lakisha grew up in a home of three sisters, a brother, and a single disabled parent which has allowed her to face many trial and tribulations. She appreciates her mother to the fullest for being a strong African-American woman. Her mother has molded her into the positive young woman she is today, and would do anything possible to strive for success in life. She would like to refrain from recapturing the struggles that she has encountered as a child . She did not even want to imagine having the finer things in life, because she knew that her mother could not provide them for her sisters, brother, and herself. Today, she comes with a new attitude in knowing that the finer things in life were instilled in her all along such as self-motivation, self-respect, truth, love, morals and values. These characteristics have created a young black woman who would not settle for less, because she knows that she deserves all life has to offer. She is a freshman at UMES, and is majoring in Journalism. Her goal is to someday become a staff writer for The Washington Post. Lakisha believes that receiving a college education can open the doors to opportunities, leadership, and success. Amy Cuello is twenty-two years of age and is a resident of Germantown, MD. She is a junior, majoring in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Kendra Thomas is originally from Baltimore, MD but has resided in the town of Princess Anne, MD for the last five years. She is a graduate of Washington High School, which is located in Princess Anne, MD, in 1997. She is currently a sophomore at UMES, and is majoring in English Education. In addition to school, she is employed at the Richard A. Henson Center, an academic facility as well as a twenty four room hotel, as a front desk agent. Her hobbies consist of watching basketball, tennis lacrosse, soccer, and baseball. She also enjoys reading and writing. Ms. Thomas is a member of UMES's 97 - 98 Honda All-Star Academic Team. After graduation, she would like to consider teaching or maybe go on to law school with a concentration in corporate, environmental, or criminal law. Tabitha I. Jones is a junior Biology/Pre-Medicine major here at UMES. She is also a student in the Honors Program and remains on the Dean's List. Besides this, she is involved with various campus organizations. Jones has received numerous awards and honors for her academic achievements, including the United States Achievement Academy's All-American Scholar. Also, she was recently named a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and desires to pursue an MD/MPH degree to become a pediatrician and work in the fields of health policy and health education and prevention. Mercedes Terrell of Princess Anne, MD is a sophomore with a major in Biology. She is a member of the Honors Program, the Rotaract Club, and Vice-President of the Pre-Professional Society. She maintained a 3.7 GPA her freshman year and is working towards the same or better during her sophomore year. Upon completion of undergraduate school, she plans to attend medical school in order to fulfill her career goal of becoming an ophthalmologist. |
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