FORT VALLEY, Ga. — The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) selected it's 2021 cohort of scholars and a Central Georgia student is among the group.
The students will attend a one-week conference in September. This program aims to build professional development and prepare HBCU students for the workforce.
Taylor Dorsey, 19, is a junior political science major at Fort Valley State University. She’s from Acworth, Georgia.
She says she stepped outside the box when she started college.
“I am a very shy person. I don't like a lot of spotlight, attention, however, when I came to Fort Valley I was determined to change that about myself,” Dorsey said.
She joined several campus organizations. Currently she's a presidential ambassador, president of NAACP, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
For the White House Scholar program -- 86 HBCU students were selected from a pool of 200.
“This opportunity to strengthen my personal development, my leadership development, communication skills, I'm really excited for it,” Dorsey said.
Dorsey has a 3.95 GPA and she interned at the Natural Resource Conservation Service in Indiana.
Because of COVID-19, this year's conference is virtual. Dorsey says she's still eager.
“I will be attending virtual sessions online about innovation, entrepreneurship, personal development, and professional development,” she said.
Dorsey encourages everyone to always work hard for their goals and never give up.
“Yeah, I think everyone should take every opportunity they can. Because you never know what doors it may open for you,” she said.
Dorsey says this opportunity is a great step in the right direction for her future -- she hopes to become an Environmental Lawyer.
The 2021 HBCU Week National Annual Conference will take place September 7-10. This year's conference theme is "Exploring Equity."
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