By Destiny Jones Voice of the Ville
Hampton University, Tennessee State University, Howard University and Norfolk State University – what do those universities have in common?
They are all historical black colleges and universities.
Many students, particularly African-American students, might be interested in attending an HBCU because they provide a similar community atmosphere to their hometown with a student population that is predominantly African American.
Moreover, an HBCU has a small population of students and offers less expensive tuition than many other colleges and universities.
Several staff members and teachers at East English Village Preparatory Academy attended an HBCU. Among them is African-American history teacher John Hill, who attended Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala.
Hill decided to attend an HBCU because of the location and education program it offered. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education.
Alabama was also a good location for him, Hill said, because of its climate.
“My experience was amazing, and I highly recommend attending a HBCU to all students,” he said.
East English Village hosted its second annual historical black college and university fair on Oct. 21. There were colleges like Fisk University and Tennessee State University from Nashville and Morgan State University from Baltimore. Many students attended to ask questions and learn about the universities. Two students were accepted onsite.
Valerie Lucas, a senior at East English Village was accepted to Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio. She chose Wilberforce because the school stood out to her and focuses on her selected major, business administration. Lucas also was attracted to Wilberforce’s location and population.
“Wilberforce classes are small, and they have a small student population,” Lucas said. “Also, they are not located too far from home.”
She expects her first year to be academically stimulating and a valuable life-learning experience, too.
