PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (August 5, 2021) – Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) seniors Raven Hollis and Taylon Owens have been recognized by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, an annual program of the U.S. Department of Education.
Raven Hollis
“I am honored to be chosen as a 2021 HBCU Scholar,” said Hollis, a biology major with minors in chemistry and health. “Supporting the next generation of leadership, the Initiative is a conduit for intellectuals to tackle tough questions, share ideas and formulate a plan to obliterate the unbalanced distribution of wealth, healthcare and education in our communities.”
Designed to honor current HBCU students for their competitiveness — or those who are successfully preparing to compete for top opportunities that improve standards of living in their communities — the program selects HBCU Competitiveness Scholars for their academic achievement, civic and campus engagement and entrepreneurial ethos.
“This recognition serves as an affirmation to my desire to serve my community,” said Owens, who is studying chemical engineering at PVAMU. “It will allow me to serve as a liaison between the students and the exciting opportunities that the initiative has to offer with hopes of addressing the inequities that have historically plagued minority and marginalized communities.”
Taylon Owens
During the 2021-22 academic year, Hollis and Owens will serve as student ambassadors and voices for the Initiative and PVAMU, ensuring that information, resources and opportunities are made available to the student body. They will participate in regional events, webinars and monthly webchats with Initiative staff and other professionals from a wide range of disciplines. According to the Department of Education, they will also be invited to attend 2021 National HBCU Week Conference workshops designed to help them learn and adopt promising practices in areas such as leadership, professional development, HBCU excellence and workforce development.
Hollis and Owens, both PVAMU Honors Program students, each received endorsements by faculty. They see their selection as HBCU Scholars as a vital stepping-stone in their future pursuits.
“I look forward to representing PVAMU and HBCUs as a whole in this opportunity,” said Owens. “My participation will equip me with tools and resources that will be transferable across various industries, and I look forward to having my eyes opened to experiences that I didn’t know existed.”
For her part, Hollis called being an HBCU Scholar “a vital platform” that can help her, as well as society at large. “I believe that the Initiative can support my needs, as well as those of my fellow peers, by providing a platform to encourage, intellectually stimulate and provide support for aspiring leaders. I truly believe that this type of environment has the ability to spur invigorating dialogue about how we can rise up as community leaders and address the economic gaps that currently exist in black and brown communities.”
“This initiative represents another platform of excellence that aligns with Prairie View A&M University’s continued legacy of Producing Productive Panthers,” said Quincy Moore, Ph.D., director of The Honors Program. “It is a great time to be a part of our amazing institution.”
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