PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (Dec. 16, 2022) – The HistoryMakers, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive, has chosen Prairie View A&M University junior Delicia Drain as one of its 2022-2023 Student Ambassadors. The program recruited 14 Student Ambassadors, representing 11 colleges and universities across the country.
As one of the faces of the 2022-2023 program year, Drain, a member of PVAMU’s Honors Program, is charged with introducing The HistoryMakers’ archive to the PVAMU community, making everyone aware of just how valuable it can be with studies and learning about the history of others.
She almost couldn’t contain her excitement when she received the news of her acceptance. “I was SO excited! It honestly felt like this position was right up my alley.” She continued, “From the history aspect to the communal engagement projects, it’s perfect. I was really happy to know that I was still able to apply myself in effective ways and leave my mark on a community.”
Drain, a psychology major, is a lover of history. She is passionate about the untold stories of others, especially those that focus on minority groups. With The HistoryMakers Digital Archive, Drain, and others, can engross themselves in the almost 3,400 stories recorded in 413 cities and towns across the United States. The electronic resource is accessible from most digital devices 24 hours per day, seven days per week. It will be an endless resource, as The HistoryMakers have plans to add more content each year.
“We have a wonderful group of Student Ambassadors, and we are extremely excited about what lies ahead,” said The HistoryMakers Founder and President Julieanna L. Richardson. “We will be able to provide them with 21st-century skills while they bring their innovation, creativity and knowledge to work to increase awareness and use of The HistoryMakers Digital Archive on their respective campuses.”
Drain learned about the opportunity from PVAMU’s Honors Program director, Quincy Moore. It perked her ears, so she went through the application process of answering essay questions, taking a speed typing and excel sheet test, and an online interview. Now, having been selected, Drain is looking forward to learning how to best represent The HistoryMakers and PVAMU.
“With this position, I hope to strengthen my ability to network and build connections, practice spreading awareness, and develop skills to effectively promote a business,” she said. “I also hope to gain experience in working with digital files and nourish my online navigation skills. Additionally, the position will help me master the ability to know and gauge my audience. This is because by telling different groups of people about the HistoryMakers database, I must shape my presentation style in accordance with who I am speaking with. I believe this newly developed expertise will be great for my future research and interactions in the psychology career field.”
Drain’s goals after graduating from PVAMU include earning a PH.D. She hopes to have a career in the field of mental health, helping improve the quality of life of people struggling to cope with such issues.
The HistoryMakers’ inaugural Student Ambassador Program, established in 2020, was funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The 2022-2023 program was generously supported in part by a grant from Bank of America.
The PVAMU community can access The HistoryMakers Digital Archive by visiting da-thehistorymakers-org.pvamu.idm.oclc.org/home.
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By Jo-Carolyn Goode
-PVAMU-