University student graduate Cory Mainor said he has bad memories of his first several years at the University, including one in which he dropped out because of a poor GPA.
But he’s back at the University with an excellent academic performance and public service record, and he’s going to start graduate studies at the College of Education in the fall.
“I have been through all those struggles, but I overcame them … and now I’m back,” Mainor said after he was given an award during the Black Women of
Achievement’s Ebony Man
Showcase on Monday night in the EMU Ballroom.
Mainor’s excellent record,
especially his spirit in the face of adversity, makes him an
inspiration for other black students on campus, two show speakers said when introducing him in the showcase.
With Mainor, nine other students, including eight men and one woman, were honored during the ceremony. All had excellent academic records and were widely recognized by the University’s black community for their public service.
The award ceremony was arranged like a big party. People sat around large tables enjoying food, while song and dance performances were staged between award announcements. Large paintings, mostly composed by black students, were also on display at the back of the ballroom.
Freshman Jontae Grace, a
history major, was the first person awarded during the ceremony. He had good academic standing in his courses and is very active in campus student activities.
Grace said the ceremony’s arrangement was “exceptional,” and he and his friends had a lot of fun. He believed the University’s black community is like a big family and getting recognized by family members is “a great honor.”
LaTina Lewis, co-director of the Black Student Union, was the only woman awarded in the ceremony. A journalism student, Lewis worked on a documentary “Forgotten Ducks,” which explored the first black
athletes on the University’s football team in the early 20th century.
Lewis said she was really honored by the award and appreciated the efforts of everyone who organized the event.
Lijin Abraham, who helped arrange the event, said she is happy it turned out well and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun.
She said the decision deciding who would receive awards took a lot of time. About 30 candidates were selected in the first round, and the final winners were decided
according to their academic records, public service records and
personality or influence in the
black community.
She believes there are several more black students who could quality for the awards but missed the competition this year.