PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Hers was an unusual Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) experience, but Consuela Amos, Ph.D., wouldn’t change a thing. A graduate of Texas Southern University with a B.A. in Child and Family Development, Amos came to PVAMU to pursue graduate degrees after a number of years in the corporate world. She earned both an M.S. Ed. in Counseling and now a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership.
Consuela Amos, Ph.D. ’21
Her dissertation topic, “An examination of supplemental instruction and tutorial services on the persistence rates of African American males,” is about quantifying and studying what makes students persist from one semester to the next. It centers on a supplemental instruction program, Amos said, and “led to incredible improvement in academic achievement but also in self-esteem. It turned into a fascinating study.”
Amos’ dissertation has an obvious link to her work as a professor at Reach University, where she focuses on teacher training. “I teach education courses to individuals who are already professionals in the education field; they work as para-professionals, so they’re non-traditional full-time college students,” she said. “I do career advising as well as teaching, and it’s really where I want to be.”
Amos intends to pursue an individual certification for supplemental instruction after graduation. “I want to consult with higher education institutions about how they can make supplemental instruction and tutorial services a key component for not just recruiting students but also to help them from semester to semester and to graduate on time,” said Amos. “I’d like to do more presenting at conferences and work in student services, particularly student academic services. I love teaching, but I have a really strong foundation for these other items.”
A Humble Beginning
Amos hails from Houston, the product of a home with limited educational background, but she and her brother now both have doctorate degrees. “My mother only has an eighth-grade education, and she worked very low-wage jobs,” Amos said. “Both my brother and I had the same characteristics of first-generation college students because all the guidance we had was my mother instilling in us the importance of an education, so we could do better than she did and have a better future.”
The time lag after Amos’ undergraduate work made her think deeply about the kind of graduate experience she wanted, and it led her to another Historically Black College/University (HBCU). “I had to think about what type of institution best met me where I was,” she said. “I felt that Prairie View met all my requirements, in terms of being an institution that has a welcoming and open atmosphere.”
While at PVAMU, she commuted from Houston, which was sometimes a challenge. “There were Friday night classes, sometimes until 9 o’clock at night after a full day of work. You drive home, and then you drive back for an 8 o’clock class the next morning,” Amos said. “It really shows how committed you are to this.”
Even still, she has managed to become involved in many extracurricular activities, even if most of those are also off campus, “more as community outreach,” she said. Amos serves as an advisor for individuals trying to get their child development associate’s degrees. She also partners with the Houston Independent School District and their Head Start program, and she collaborates on course development with professors at Sam Houston State University for their online component. “I do a little bit of everything,” she said. Although she didn’t provide mentorship for PVAMU students, she said, “I’ve actually mentored students who then became students at Prairie View.”
Ready to Take on the World
Amos feels ready to advise students at any level, but she has particular knowledge of what being a graduate student at Prairie View is all about. “On the doctorate level, you go from consuming information to producing information. So, you have to change your frame of mind from the worker bee to the entrepreneur,” she said. “It requires a village mentality. All of this, no matter what level you’re on, you need a support system. You’re the person in front, but it’s important to remember that you have this whole group of people standing behind you.”
When Amos does have the opportunity to tout a university, she is apt to sing Prairie View’s praises. “You can speak with your professors, and they know your name,” she said. “I knew this because of my HBCU experience at Texas Southern, and I wanted to have that continuity. Certain institutions are a machine, and you’re kind of in it. There are so many students, and you can get lost in the sauce. But I felt heard and seen while at Prairie View, and it’s why I recommend it to everyone.”
By Andrew Cohen
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