Tag Archives: u.s. military

HBCU Veteran Showcase: The U.S. Navy and Prairie View A&M University’s Kia Jenkins

11 Nov

Major/Concentration: Social Work

Classification: Senior

Branch of the Military: The United States Navy

Your path to an HBCU definitely qualifies as non-traditional. You started off in the military, then community college, and finally found your way to Prairie View A&M University. Can you tell us a bit more about your journey and how it came to be and how you ultimately ended up choosing an HBCU?  

Well, one thank you for the opportunity and my journey has definitely been unique. I actually made the rookie mistake and signed up for online college with University of Phoenix a few years before signing up for the military. I managed to get an associate but not knowing what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I decided to take a leap and march right to the recuiter’s office without a second thought. Fast forward to me getting out and moving back to Houston, I started having some health problems that forced me to quit my job and becoming 100% disabled by the VA. I was fortunate to receive information about a program that the VA offered disabled veterans to be able to go to school in order to find better employment that will not interfere with my disabilities. I was able to get approved and came up with a degree plan that the VA approved. After watching Black Panther and seeing black empowerment and investing our money and education into HBCUs on social media sites, following HBCU Digest on twitter, I took a tour with TSU and then PVAMU and the rest is history.

Statistics show a mixed message at times if veterans are graduating worse, on par, or better than traditional college students. What would you say have been the advantages and disadvantages for you as a student veteran?

I would say my advantages with being a student veteran is that my focus is solely on my education. When I was younger, to be honest, college was not on my radar at all. I am the youngest and my parents were not college graduates nor did they ever talk to me about the possibilities of going to college. In their defense, I was not a star student in high school and graduated with a 1.95 GPA. Now that I understand the importance of higher learning and the power of knowledge, I left Lone Star with a 3.08 GPA and I am currently rocking a 4.0 at Prairie View so I am extremely proud of that accomplishment. The disadvantages I would have to say would be the overall college experience that most of my peers got to have. Staying on campus and experiencing housing or campus parties, homecoming, joining a sorority and overall friendships and bonds you create as a traditional college student.

Given some of the unique challenges that student veterans may face, what do you think HBCUs can do to help African American military veterans achieve matriculation?  

Now this is a tricky question to answer simply because each veteran is unique and had a different military experience from one another. Some veterans have PTSD, many have a short temper due to the military environment and how vastly different yet similar it is with college. One way I know for sure that HBCUs can help would be ensuring that our paperwork is a smooth transition and making veterans feel welcome and important is really all that we can ask for. Also, for those veterans that deal with PTSD and other issues, having a space dedicated only for veterans to go to regroup or to connect with other veterans could really be helpful as well.

What class and/or professor has had the biggest impact on your time at Prairie View A&M?
This one is hard to narrow down to one class or professor, I have three professors that really helped me my first semester at PVAMU. Professor Mendez for Spanish because I was able to understand the language and he held a very strong structure for the classroom setting to help us focus on the task. I appreciate that and he was very helpful and open to each and every student.
Dr. Spears has been a wonderful mentor and counselor for Social Work. She is kind, patient, understanding and will not sugar coat anything if she feels that social work is not a good fit for you. She also ensures all of us join organizations that involve our major in order to have the necessary tools we will need when we go on to graduate school.
My last professor is Dr. Jackson and his class Research because he pushes us to go for our major and that if you come to him for help, he not only sees that you are trying but he will ensure that you do well in that class. He makes his class ten times harder and better than the class for the graduate program so that we will pass with flying colors. He makes the class fun and crazy all at the same time if that makes sense.
Technology and social work are not something often mentioned going hand in hand, but how can you see technology helping the field of social work in the future?

Well being able to have the software downloaded onto an iPad would be helpful for me because I carry mine around with me all the time and I am able to record a conversation while I am either typing or writing my notes would be extremely helpful with the line of work I am looking into doing once I complete graduate school. Being able to record without having to have a separate recorder and make it less awkward is a great plus. Being able to access past recording, files on client/patients, eco-friendly because less paper is being used, the list can go on with all of the benefits that technology can for those in the field of social work.

Tell us about your favorite HBCU memory/experience during your matriculation?
So far my best memory is finishing my first semester with all A’s and I am looking forward to having my first official homecoming experience. Spring fest was a hit and miss for me simply because I was so caught up with class and the fact that I did not really have any friends because it was my first semester there. I am so ready and excited to experience my absolute last semester before graduation and getting prepared for that special day!

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