Tammika Thomas, Harris-Stowe State University- c/o 2014, Education
Name : Tammika Thomas
HBCU : Harris-Stowe State University
Graduation Year : 2014
Major : Education
Minor : Psychology
Email : Tammika.Thomas@yahoo.com
Where are you from? Who introduced you to HBCUs?*
I was born and raised in Carson, California. I was introduced to HBCUs by Spike Lee in School Daze.
But it was TLC who introduced me to Grambling State University.
Why did you choose an HBCU over a pwi?*
Initially I chose an HBCU because I was interested in knowing what if felt like to be encapsulated in Blackness.
Upon my return to school, I chose an HBCU because I knew that no one would understand me or my educational needs like a school that was designed with me in mind.
What is the story of your "experience" at Your HBCU given its heralded status as a stellar and prestigious institution?*
I'm a proud alumna of TWO historically Black universities as I've had the privilege of attending both Grambling State and Harris-Stowe State University in my educational journey. I matriculated at Grambling at the age of 18.
While I got off to a great start in the place "where everybody is somebody," it would not be until after I moved to St. Louis, MO and started a family that I would answer the call that was upon my life. I returned to college as a mother of 5 at the age of 32 to pursue a degree in Elementary Education.
Harris-Stowe welcomed me with open arms, and allowed me to pick up right where I'd left off. I graduated in 2014 with a B.S. in education. I earned an M.Ed in 2017, and am currently pursuing a doctorate in educational psychology.
Most importantly, I'm a Harris-Stowe mom! My eldest daughter is entering her 3rd year at the institution and that's perhaps the one thing I am most proud of!!!
"First time" experiences at your HBCU?*
Grambling-Friendship, True Freedom, Road Trips, Homecoming, Bayou Classic, Bounce music, meeting rappers not from Cali or New York. It was truly the best of times!
Who are the professors that have impacted your life in and out of the classroom? How did they do that?*
Grambling - Dr. Helen Richards
Harris-Stowe- Dr. Betty Porter-Walls
Both of these dynamic women taught me that the classroom was not a place for games and that there was no one on this Earth more capable of getting in my way than me. I would not be the woman I am today without their tough love.
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Harris-Stowe State University
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Students: 1,464
- Athletics: Harris-Stowe State University competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as a member of the American Midwest Conference (AMC).Harris-Stowe State University offers Baseball Basketball, Soccer, Women's sports, Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball.
- Notable Alumni: Arlene Ackerman - Former superintendent of public schools in District of Columbia, San Francisco and Philadelphia** David S. Cunningham, Jr. - Los Angeles, California, City Council member, 1973–87** Julius Hunter - Retired television anchorman, former St. Louis University vice-president, author** Bobby Wilks - U.S. Coast Guard aviator, first African-American promoted to Captain in the Coast Guard**
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