Omar Waller, Tuskegee University- c/o 2016, Electrical Engineering
Name : Omar Waller
HBCU : Tuskegee University
Graduation Year : 2016
Major : Electrical Engineering
Minor : N/A
Email : walleromar@gmail.com
Where are you from? Who introduced you to HBCUs?*
I'm from Ellenwood, GA on the east side of Atlanta. My parents initially introduced me to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. My dad graduated from Fisk University and mom graduated from Spelman.
Tuskegee University shaped me into the man I am today.
Why did you choose an HBCU over a pwi?*
I chose Tuskegee University after attending the engineering summer camp in 2015. At the summer camp, we received introductions to the disciplines of engineering offered by Tuskegee University; electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, and chemical engineering. Throughout the camp, I fell in love with the Tuskegee spirit and decided to attend the following fall.
What is the story of your "experience" at Your HBCU given its heralded status as a stellar and prestigious institution?*
At Tuskegee University, I discovered the excellence in African-American history not taught/learned in public school education. Not only did I learn about Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, and the Tuskegee Airmen, I walked the same grounds they walked on, the same fields they tilled, and the same airfields they trained on. This experience gave me a new sense of identity, a new feeling of "somebodiness", and a different level of ambition.
"First time" experiences at your HBCU?*
I was lucky that my first experience at an HBCU was in the Marching Crimson Piper Band. I formed a close bond with my crab (freshman) class, many of whom I'm still in contact with today. The band experience at an HBCU is unparalleled to any other campus organization.
Who are the professors that have impacted your life in and out of the classroom? How did they do that?*
My physics professor, Dr. Burns, was my favorite professor among them all. He pushed his students to think critically, study hard, and understand the fundamentals. He was hard but fair.
Outside of the classroom, I was fortunate enough to receive mentoring from the President of the University. Those conversations shaped my ambitions and helped to further define my aspirations.
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Tuskegee University
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Students: 3,118
- Athletics: Tuskegee University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II and competes within the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). Tuskegee University offers Baseball, Basketball, Track and Field, Cross Country, Softball, Tennis, Football, and Volleyball.
- Notable Alumni: William A. Campbell - 1937 - Member of the Tuskegee Airmen who rose to the rank of Colonel** Ralph Ellison - Scholar, author of Invisible Man** The Commodores - 70s R&B band whose members met while attending Tuskegee** Tom Joyner - 1971 - Radio host whose daily program, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, is syndicated across the United States and heard by over 10 million radio listeners.** General Daniel "Chappie" James - 1942 - US Air Force Fighter pilot, in 1975 became the first African American to reach the rank of four-star General** Lonnie Johnson (inventor) - Inventor of the Super Soaker, former NASA aerospace engineer** John A. Lankford - 20th century architect** Danielle Spencer - Television actress best known as Dee from the 1970s TV show What's Happening!!** Dr. Ptolemy A. Reid 1955 - Prime Minister of Guyana (1980–1984)** Rich Boy - Rapper** Lionel Richie - R&B singer, Grammy Award winner** Herman J. Russell - 1953 - Founder and former president and CEO of H. J. Russell Construction Co., the largest minority owned construction company in the US** Betty Shabazz - Wife of Malcolm X** Jake Simmons Jr. - 1919 - Oil broker and civil rights advocate** Keenen Ivory Wayans - Actor, comedian, and television producer** Elizabeth Evelyn Wright - Educator and humanitarian, founder of Voorhees College*
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