Florida A&M University is experiencing a season of leadership transition. On Aug. 9, FAMU interim school president Timothy Beard asked for the immediate resignation of the school’s senior leadership team, including former athletic director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes.
Days ahead of rolling out‘s “Because We Met HBCUs Road to Success” event powered by Genesis in Atlanta on Aug. 22, Florida A&M University National Alumni Association Metro Atlanta Chapter President Michael D. Collins spoke about the HBCU connection and the future of FAMU.
We’ve seen a lot of unity among FAMU alumni during the transitional leadership period. What has it been like to see everyone sticking together?
I think it’s very important.
I also serve as the Metro Atlanta Alumni Chapter president. We want to make sure we support our university… We want to make sure we stand behind the rich legacy of Florida A&M University.
Because, again, leaders come and go, but the history is going to be there. So we want to make sure we continue to be a top university, produce graduates and ensure our graduates come out in a certain amount of time–four years. Make sure they finish, come out, and be productive in their society and the careers they choose.
How did attending an HBCU affect your professional network and everyone you have access to today?
At my last two jobs, I’ve had Rattler connections.
My former head boss was a Rattler. We just happened to meet one day in the hallway, and somebody said, “You know both of y’all went to FAMU.” And we were like, “Really?” We’d been talking and didn’t even connect that.
We instantly connected once we realized we had gone to FAMU. To this day, we’re still connected.
Then, at my current job, one thing I took away from the interview towards the end [was that] my manager is a University of Florida graduate, and she said, “When I saw your résumé and saw you went to FAMU, I knew I wanted to interview you because I knew you were prepared for this job just because you attended Florida A&M University.”
I was like, “Wow, that meant a lot.” That stood out to me. People pay attention to not only your career but also where you graduated from school, and that plays a big part in how you move throughout your career with your network.
Who did you meet at FAMU?
I met my best friends. We’re still connected to this day. They were some of the first people I met when auditioning for the band, and they’re still around today. I have to give it up to FAMU [for making] that connection.
What does your professional network at FAMU provide?
It provides me with a continued lifeline just being able to stay connected with individuals, seeing how they’re doing in their careers, and thinking about how we all were.
We came to college at 17 or 18 and didn’t have a clue of what this life would lead to. Now, we’re running companies as CEOs and heads of organizations. It’s amazing how those years went by from being a teenager to adulthood.
What does FAMU mean to you?
FAMU means legacy, history and tradition.
