How important do you feel HBCUs are in today’s current climate?
CR: I think people are starting to realize there are more HBCUs beyond Spelman, Howard and Morehouse. It’s our job as queens to spread the word about our institutions and other smaller institutions. I feel like people are starting to realize our worth. We are on the same level as PWIs, we produce the same and even better. We are making an impact. We are HBCUs and you will hear us and see us.
What do you plan on doing after graduation?
MS: After graduating from Benedict, I plan on getting my MBA and hopefully get into a program that’s only a year, then get my juris doctorate to practice law. But, ultimately, I want to be a criminal defense attorney, as well as a prosecutor, then judge, and hopefully, I could sit on the city council of Atlanta and run for mayor of Atlanta.
CR: I’m going to go to law school, and then I’m going to run for mayor back home in Miami Gardens. My godfather was mayor and now he’s commissioner and I’ve been interning there since I was 12. So I want to follow in his footsteps.
If you could speak to a freshman looking to fill your shoes as a queen, what advice would you give her?
MS: Take risks, challenge yourself. Be patient with yourself, and be consistent. Network, you never know whose hand you’re gonna shake. You never know who you might need in the future. That’s why it’s important to be generous and kind [as well].
