Will Chavis in school hallway shaking hands with students

Celebrating Our Black Alumni

Meet some of our extraordinary alumni who found their place at the NC State College of Education and are educating children, improving schools and strengthening communities.

As part of celebrating Black History Month, we’ve created this page to house the profiles of some of our extraordinary College of Education alumni who are Black that we have written about over the past year. We want to celebrate their academic achievements and contributions to the field of education.

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERACTION

Malcolm Smith ‘20 credits the NC State College of Education for providing him with so many opportunities to develop professionally.

Meet Malcolm Smith

ADVANCING DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

John Pierre Craig ‘20MED and Miyah Wilson ‘20MED wanted to integrate their passion for education with their passion for diversity, equity and inclusion.

Meet John Pierre Craig and Miyah Wilson

NC State College of Education Doctoral Student Demah Payne '20PHD

PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING OTHERS

Demah Payne ‘20PHD has always been intrigued with the mind and enjoyed understanding why and how people think the way they do.

Meet Demah Payne

“If we are seeking a more diverse student body than we have to have more diverse faculty to make sure that we can support those students.”

Dina Walker-DeVose ‘13PHD, Interim Assistant Dean of Recruitment, Retention, and Inclusion at Georgia Southern University

Meet Dina Walker-DeVose

EMBRACING A LOVE OF LEARNING

Having great high school teachers inspired Marlin Jones ‘20MED to become an educator.

Meet Marlin Jones

CATERING TO STUDENTS’ NEEDS

Aaliyah Whitfield ‘20 always flourished in her English classes and now she wants to help others do the same.

Meet Aaliyah Whitfield

FIGHTING FOR EDUCATIONAL EQUITY

Franklin County Principal of the Year Erica Shoulders-Royster ‘12MSA, ‘20EDD was the first person in her family to earn a doctoral degree.

Meet Erica Shoulders-Royster

“We, as educators, have to make the decision to do what’s best for kids first. And we are charged with doing that on a daily, on-going basis.”

Cherelle Sanders ‘11, 6-8 Math/Science Multi-classroom Education Leader at Martin Millennium Academy

Meet Cherelle Sanders

NC State College of Education graduate LaShica Davis Waters '20PHD

RECOGNIZING REPRESENTATION MATTERS

LaShica Davis Waters ‘20PHD fell in love with higher education when she began her college career as a first-generation college student. Now she hopes her work will benefit adult learners.

Meet LaSchia Davis Waters

GIVING BACK TO FUTURE EDUCATORS

In her role, Chelsea Hayes ‘17MED takes advantage of her skill set, gives back to the college that has given her so much and continues learning from future educators.

Meet Chelsea Hayes

AWARD-WINNING PRINCIPAL

Sheila Atkins ‘12MSA started her career at Granville County Schools as a teacher assistant and bus driver.

Meet Sheila Atkins

“I chose education to help inspire young students who look like me and who need support and guidance.”

Janell Miller ’20MS, English Teacher at Southeast Raleigh High School

Meet Janell Miller

A STEM EDUCATION ADVOCATE

Karen Terrell Jackson ‘14PHD, an assistant professor of leadership studies and adult education, likes to say she’s a physical scientist that converted to social science.

Meet Karen Terrell Jackson

ENCOURAGED THROUGH SOCIAL STUDIES

Crystal Simmons ‘15PHD developed a love for social studies as an elementary student, where she was introduced to Black history.

Meet Crystal Simmons

LEADING AND SUPPORTING COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Jemilia Davis ‘19PHD has always been interested in executive leadership and its role in promoting student success, primarily for Black and Brown students.

Meet Jemilia Davis

“You cannot research or discuss the experiences of Black, Indigenous and people of color without acknowledging systemic and institutionalized racism; it is engrained in society.”

Shanita S. Brown ‘11MED, ‘16PHD, Director of Counseling Services at Virginia Union University

Meet Shanita Brown

LEADING THE NEXT GENERATION OF COUNSELORS

Regina Gavin Williams ‘16PHD has a passion for supporting children and adolescents in the foster care system.

Meet Regina Gavin Williams

Stelfanie Williams at NC State Alumni Association's Evening of the Stars Nov. 7

AN ACCOMPLISHED HIGHER ED LEADER

With a 20-plus-year career in community colleges and higher education, Stelfanie Williams ’11 EDD was named the NC State College of Education’s 2019 Distinguished Alumna.

Meet Stelfanie Williams

SHAPING A DIVERSE GENERATION OF LEARNERS

Marcus Howard ‘20PHD wants to build the capacity in students from disadvantaged backgrounds to believe in themselves and help them reach their true potential.

Meet Marcus Howard

Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The NC State College of Education’s land-grant vision is to lead the way in increasing educational opportunities for all and reducing achievement gaps. To fulfill this vision, the advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion task force seeks to confront racial injustices and build a more diverse, inclusive and supportive community — both within our college and in the field of education.

Learn More