2012 Reunion Scholarship Recipients0
2012 Scholarship Recipients
The Florida State University (FSU) Black Alumni Association promotes and supports the academic achievement and excellence of Black students at FSU. As part of its 2012 Black Alumni Reunion: Peace. Love. Seminoles, the FSU Black Alumni Association will award $500 scholarships to three deserving students. One of the scholarships is specifically designated for a student who is involved in the International Program or plans to study abroad, and one will be awarded in honor of Maxwell Courtney (the first Black undergraduate student to attend and graduate from FSU). This year’s award recipients are listed below.
L-R: Jada Jones, Delese White, & Samara Hicks
- Samara Hicks is a graduate student from Sarasota, Florida, majoring in Social Work. She also plans to obtain a Global Pathways Certificate. She is a member of the Black Graduate Students Association and has volunteered with Big Bend Cares, the Character Center and Goodwill. She previously traveled to South Africa where she shared her gift of music and learned about the spread of HIV/AIDS and the cultural divide between some of the people in this country. She stated “My ability to press past the pain of injustice in my life has motivated me to want to change the world, not just the United States.” She plans to study abroad in Costa Rica.
- Jada S. Jones is a freshman from Titusville, Florida, majoring in Marketing. She received her local Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Young Adult Award for her academic achievements, extracurricular activities and community service. She helped coordinate a prayer vigil and peace jam in response to two tragic situations. She stated “Community service is important to me. I volunteer not just to help others but also for self-fulfillment. I know the importance of a solid education and I can use my recent experiences to educate others about the importance of giving back.” Ms. Jones is being awarded this scholarship in honor of Maxwell Courtney.
- Delese White is a freshman from Hallandale, Florida, majoring in Health Sciences. She has been involved in Health Occupations Students of America for years and she volunteered at her regional hospital throughout high school. She is a first generation college student who has overcome prejudice and a very harsh life to be accepted into FSU. She wants to be an Obstetrician/Gynecologist “to ensure females receive knowledge and services to help prevent and hopefully cease the risk of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.”
Carl A. Sharpe1
Carl A. Sharpe
Outstanding Student – 2012
Mr. Carl A. Sharpe is a native of Sunrise, Florida. He is the Student Body Treasurer for Florida State University (FSU), where he oversees a budget of $13.2 million, oversees allocations and expenditures of registered student organizations and agencies, and ensures funds are spent responsibly. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance. He previously worked as a Student Assistant in the Vice President of Student Affairs Office. He has also interned with General Electric (Rochester, New York) and Clutch Strategies, LLC (Tallahassee, Florida).
Mr. Sharpe is an exemplary student and a role model for his fellow students. When he stepped on the campus of FSU he immediately became involved in Student Government and joined the Freshman Leadership Council. In Spring 2010 he became a member of the 62nd Student Senate and served as the Vice-Chairman of the Finance Committee. He later became a member of the 63rd and 64th Student Senates, and because of his fiscal responsibility and strength in numbers, he served as the Finance Committee Chairman in Fall 2011. He has also served on the Student and Greek Conduct Board, the Vice President of Finance for the Order of Omega Greek Honorary Society, and the Student Organization Advisory and Review Board. He is a member of the Iota Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Student Alumni Association, and the FSU Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Mr. Sharpe has served with the Student Supporting Student Mentoring Organization and as a Youth Programs Mentor. He is on the 2012 FSU Homecoming Court and was elected Homecoming Chief, a LeaderShape Institute Graduate, and a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, Garnet and Gold Key Leadership Honorary Society, W.E.B. DuBois Honors Society, and Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society. He has also received several awards including 2011 Senator of the Year, My Brother’s Keeper Award, Torch Night Recipient, and the Dr. William Hudson Jr. Scholarship.
Coach Ahmad Aliyy0
Ahmad Aliyy
(Formerly known as Edward “Skip” Young)
Heart of A Champion – 2012
Ahmad Aliyy, formerly known as Edward “Skip” Young, graduated from Linden McKinley High School (Columbus, Ohio), where he excelled in basketball, leading the school to its first State Championship, and becoming the first All-American. He accepted an athletic scholarship to Florida State University (FSU), which made him one of two Black athletes to initially play at a predominately white institution in the Southeast. He is on the list of all-time assist leaders at FSU, and was drafted by the National Basketball Association’s Boston Celtics and the American Basketball Association’s New York Nets. After a brief stint in professional basketball he returned to FSU, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Social Welfare. Aliyy was inducted into the FSU Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
Aliyy has done some graduate work in Public Administration at FSU, and previously served as an Adjunct Professor at FSU where he taught an undergraduate course in Economic, Social, and Political Impact of Sports on African American Athletes. He has worked for numerous government agencies, the longest as an Investigator/Mediator and Head of Investigations for the Florida Commission on Human Relations.
Aliyy is the CEO of High Five Sports and Academic Foundation, which seeks to assist youth, ages 8-18, in the areas of education, sports, health, and leadership. He is currently the Head Coach of the Florida A and M University Development Research School’s Girls Basketball Team, which has won two State Championship titles (1A in 2004 and 2A in 2012). He was selected Coach of the Year by the Florida High School Athletic Association in 2004 and 2012, and the All Big-Bend Coach of the Year in 2004, 2009 and 2011. He is also the founder of Optimum Performance Training Systems, Inc. which provided personal training/consultation in specific sports related skills for basketball and fitness to athletes of all ages and levels of competition. Additionally he has organized and conducted basketball camps in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Los Angeles, and Ghana West Africa.
