Dr. Tyffani Monford Dent, Wilberforce University- c/o 1996, Psychology
Name : Dr. Tyffani Monford Dent
HBCU : Wilberforce University
Graduation Year : 1996
Major : Psychology
Email : DrTyff@yahoo.com
Where are you from? Who introduced you to HBCUs?*
I am from Lima, Ohio. My older sister, Angela attended Central State University and my aunt Emma attended Kentucky State.
Dr. Tyffani Monford Dent proud HBCU Alumnus of Wilberforce University | Image Credit: Tyffani Monford Dent
Why did you choose an HBCU over a pwi?*
After experiencing the stress of attending a rural school with very few Black students, I wanted the opportunity to be in an environment where being Black was celebrated and Black achievement was an expectation.
[How did you decide to become a student at Wilberforce University?]
Initially, I wanted to attend a different HBCU but, due to the distance from home, my father strongly suggested I choose a school closer to home. I liked the fact that Wilberforce was small, had a strong religious foundation, as well as a long history of academic excellence.
What is the story of your "experience" at Your HBCU given its heralded status as a stellar and prestigious institution?*
Some of my Wilberforce classmates have become more like family than even some of my blood relatives. Our connection has remained even though we have not been in school together for almost 20 years.
"First time" experiences at your HBCU?*
1. First Love
2. First road trip—to Ball State with my sands and then another to Clark Atlanta with them as well
3. First debt lol
Who are the professors that have impacted your life in and out of the classroom? How did they do that?*
Dr. Muriel Brailey, who did not teach my major, but taught me the importance of speaking my mind.
Dr. Johnson who made me realize all of the possibilities a degree in psychology offered. I ended up attending (and graduating) from the same doctoral program that he had.
Dr. Muriel Brailey was appointed the Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs in 2010 | Image Credit: ricksheridan.netmar.com/
Best restaurants on/near campus? Best dishes?
My favorite restaurant was Red Lobster—because of the cheddar bay biscuits
College crush?
Ummm. He knew. He definitely knew.
Ghost stories involving buildings or spots on campus?
Not of which I am aware
What is your major? and Why did you choose it?
My major was psychology. I chose my major in the 8th grade after watching the movie “Sybil”. How the mind works fascinated me.
What to date has been your proudest moment @ Your HBCU?
Other than graduating? When I became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.–Beta Chapter.
Where are the spots to go to if you wanted to cuddle with your boy or girlfriend?
Ummmm
What are the chants heard most often at the sporting events?
“You should have been a bulldog” and “I saw G-O, go, Bulldogs go–and shake that thang”.
I actually was the captain of the Wilberforce cheerleading squad at one point.
How are you positively active on campus? (e.g. clubs, SGA, etc.)
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Editor-literary magazine; Secretary-Senior Class; RA-2nd Floor Askew Hall; Sigma Omega Honor Society; Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society; Wilberforce University Cheerleader; wrote, directed, and produced plays that were shown on campus.
Where is the “yard” located?
In front of the Student Union
What and where are the historical places on campus?
The Fountain; The Barn; Shorter Hall
What to date has been your saddest moment at your HBCU?
Leaving Wilberforce
What is your process when you are going through a hardship that you have never faced before?
I think about the situation, look at the skills and supports that I have to assist in managing it, and then make a plan to overcome it
How did you overcome your nervousness about going to college?
I was not nervous about going to college. In high school, I was a part of a summer program at Bowling Green State University where I was on campus all summer working in the Computer Science Department
How did your HBCU prepare you for a diverse workplace?
Coming from a small, rural predominantly White hometown, to an HBCU, I learned the importance of being able to interact with all groups of people. Again, my cooperative education practica placed me in work environments that were very diverse.
What advice would you give high school students filling out college applications for the first time?
Do not “cut and paste”. Think about what makes that particular college a good choice for you. Choose a college based upon your wants/needs—not your friends’. Have someone read your essays before you submit them.
Are you a member of a sorority?
I pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. I was impressed by their community service, academics, the sorority’s illustrious history, and I must admit, they were fly
Describe a situation from your life where this proverb came to life or occurred “The person who grew up without correction will find his mouth slipping instead of his foot.”
Cannot recall one
How did your HBCU help you to transition into your careers workforce?
Wilberforce University required participation in cooperative education practicums. I was able to gain exposure to various areas of my chosen field including work at the VA Medical Center in Ann Arbor Michigan and Middletown Regional Hospital on the psychiatric unit.
Such access to administrators and mental health professionals while being an undergraduate was not common. I learned about professionalism, the importance of resume-building, and networking—thanks in large part to the mandatory cooperative education program.
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Wilberforce University
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Students: 500
- Athletics: Wilberforce University is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing as an Independent of the Association of Independent Institutions (AII). Wilberforce University offers Men's sports including basketball and cross country, while women's sports include basketball and cross country. Students also participate in the following intramural sports: basketball, softball, volleyball, flag football, and tennis.
- Notable Alumni: Ossian Sweet - African American doctor notable for self-defense in 1925 against a white mob's attempt to force him out of his Detroit neighborhood, and acquittal at trial** Theophilus Gould Steward - 1881 - U.S. Army chaplain and Buffalo Soldier** Demetrius Newton - Civil rights attorney** Bill Powell - Owner and designer of Clearview Golf Club, the first integrated golf course in America and the first owned and designed by an African American** Leontyne Price - Opera singer and first African American prima donna of the Metropolitan Opera** Leon Jordan - 1932 - Politician and civil rights activist; considered one of the most influential African Americans in the history of Kansas City, Missouri** James H. McGee - City commissioner and first African American mayor of Dayton, Ohio** John R. Fox - Recipient of the Medal of Honor** Raymond V. Haysbert - Business executive and civil rights leader** Floy Clements - First African-American woman to serve in the Illinois House of Representatives (1959-1960)** Victoria Gray Adams - Pioneering civil rights activist** Regina M. Anderson - Playwright, librarian, and member of the Harlem Renaissance** Hallie Quinn Brown - 1873 - Educator, writer and activist**
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