From HBCU to Ivy League

Three former Student Government Association leaders are representing the motto, "Prairie View produces productive people" to the fullest.

2009-2010 SGA president Robert Powell is in his second year of graduate studies at Massachusetts Institute Technology. Upon completion of the master's program, Powell plans to obtain a doctorate or gain some industry experience before pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree.

Powell helped to expand the "PV Goes Green" environmental campaign and helped to introduce the "Speak up or Shut up" forums which increased communication between the administration and student body.

His successor, Bobby J. Smith, 2010-2011 SGA president, continued the pace establishing a "Go Green" committee, proposing and creating the first Panther statue and introducing town hall meeting style forums, titled "POWER," to allow students the opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns. Smith is in his first year of graduate studies at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. His mentors at Prairie View encouraged him to pursue graduate studies and obtain a doctorate; both are necessary to achieve his goal of becoming an agricultural economist.

Aziza Glass, former senator for the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences and chair of finance and appropriations, is also a first year graduate student at Cornell. Upon completion of her graduate studies in veterinary medicine, she plans to pursue research in the field of animal behavior. Glass aspires to one day open a veterinary medicine clinic. The Prairie View alumni agreed that their new schools are very different from Prairie View. At Cornell, Smith is one of a few African American students in his field.

Smith said, "Graduate school is in a league of its own. Prairie View is an institution that enrolls 8,000 to 9,000 on average and Cornell enrollment is twice that number."

Powell said, "Coming from Prairie View where the population is approximately 97 percent African American and 3 percent other, MIT is just the opposite." "You are constantly reminded that you are the minority especially being a black female. There are always subtle acknowledgements although it's not always a negative thing," said Glass.

All have the opinion that the change did cause a culture shock but it also has caused an expansion of their comfort zones. Powell, Smith and Glass all agree that the workload is rigorous but worth it.

"At MIT, it is like drinking from a fire hose, the knowledge is coming fast and at a high velocity," said Powell.