As a pupil at Clark Atlanta College, 21-year-old Kennedy Whisenant would not take it without any consideration that she’s enrolled in a traditionally black faculty or college. She grew up watching the adventures of the scholars of the fictional Hillman Faculty in cosby present cleave a unique world and says the ambiance at Clark Atlanta College is not far off. Between her academics and being a proud member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Alpha Pi Chapter, her faculty expertise has nurtured her and supplied her with a powerful help system. She has discovered her village throughout the time she was there.
Now she needs HBCUs to obtain extra funding, funding, classroom provides, monetary support and recognition. “I want we have been acknowledged for extra than simply our bands and Greek life as a result of we’re a lot extra,” Whisenant says. “I want extra individuals knew that we’re right here. We’re a powerhouse, and we’re individuals to be reckoned with. We are able to run with any predominantly white establishment.”
When she graduates with the CAU class of 2023, she hopes to make use of her style design diploma to interrupt down obstacles for individuals with disabilities. Whisenant plans to open a store for promenade and pageant attire, creating sensible and flattering clothes for breast most cancers survivors, impressed by her personal mom’s survivorship journey. Whisenant sees how straightforward it’s to take without any consideration you could stroll right into a retailer and discover clothes that blends perform and style, and he or she needs to ensure that individuals with disabilities can look their finest.
Whisenant additionally grew to become the second African-American girl to win Miss Collegiate America in 2022. She makes use of her nationwide platform, BRAVE (Constructing Respect and Values for Everybody), to unfold the phrase in opposition to bullying. She trains academics and directors on how they will correctly deal with conditions within the classroom, ensuring they will correctly unfold an anti-bullying message. Whisenant says she herself confronted bullying when she was youthful as a consequence of an eye fixed damage, and the expertise fuels her ardour for this platform.
“I wish to ensure that for the subsequent era, nobody has to undergo what I have been by way of,” Whisenant says. “It positively fuels my motivation. I believe it additionally retains me humble. I’m sharing my life expertise with you. I am being simply as susceptible.”
Subsequent, meet one of many 2022 Glamor Faculty Girls of the Yr: Kennedy Whisenant.
Glamor: What does it imply to you to attend a traditionally black college?
Kennedy Whisenant: My HBCU has supplied me with a protected area the place I will be totally and creatively myself. I get to expertise African American tradition at its peak. I get to be surrounded by like-minded individuals striving for greatness in a world the place generally our greatness is stagnant or blocked. Going into the historical past of HBCUs, if you concentrate on why they have been created, that additionally means loads. We needed to create areas for us to flourish, and people areas weren’t accessible on the time. Meaning loads to me to hold on the legacy of my ancestors. I’m your greatest dream.
What’s one factor you would like extra individuals knew about HBCUs?
that we exist As somebody who has been “the primary African American” in lots of areas of life, I can say that HBCUs aren’t acknowledged or identified. I all the time inform individuals, “I’ll an HBCU,” they usually’re like, “What’s that?” Typically I get pissed off as a result of we actually are a hidden gem and we now have individuals who go to those universities, graduate from these universities, who turn into legends, and there are numerous individuals right here who deserve recognition. Even our academics are worthy of receiving your flowers whereas they’re right here. They form us and form us and make us the individuals we’re.
Has there been a instructor or professor at Clark Atlanta that had a selected influence on you?
Too many to rely. From the workers to the administration, I’ve been really blessed with not solely individuals who will keep in my life ceaselessly, but in addition my household. These are relationships that may take me even off this campus. They care not solely about my GPA, however about my well-being and psychological well being. They’re pouring in on me and ensuring Kennedy is a greater individual when he leaves right here. Sure, the title is the primary objective, however they wish to ensure that, in my enrollment at Clark Atlanta College, Kennedy is the perfect model of herself when she walks the stage.
You have an interest in creating sensible and flattering clothes for breast most cancers survivors. What impressed you to do this?
Earlier than I graduated from highschool, my mom was recognized with triple unfavourable breast most cancers. I’m an solely youngster and my mom is a single mom; She adopted me once I was two days outdated. I noticed her undergo bodily, psychological and religious issues. I noticed the impact it had on her and I additionally witnessed the impact she had on me, with out even figuring out it. Trying again, I noticed that when my mom suffered, I suffered. When she suffered, I suffered.
After the double mastectomy, we have been struggling to search out garments that may make her really feel good once more, give her confidence, and make her really feel female. I believe we take the feminine type without any consideration, and when these issues have been taken away, my mother had a tougher time regaining confidence in her femininity. I wish to create clothes so that individuals with all disabilities can look within the mirror and love what they see.
When do you’re feeling most lovely?
Most likely once I’m competing in a contest. It is not a lot the make-up, the hair and the attire, nevertheless it’s me being authentically myself and placing my coronary heart out on stage and letting individuals see me for me. Once I advocate for issues that I wish to see change in, once I always encourage individuals and share my experiences and my tales with such delight, that is what makes me really feel lovely. Having the ability to know that I will help another person, or I could make another person’s day brighter. Simply with the ability to be that mild for somebody.
What’s one false impression individuals have about pomp?
That it’s about outer magnificence. The present is all about multifaceted girls who simply wish to invoke change. You select a mission or a trigger that’s close to and expensive to your coronary heart, and the contests solely use the platform to achieve these individuals you could not be capable of attain. Yeah, we do picture shoots, we trip automobiles in parades, we now have offers with sponsors and stuff like that, nevertheless it’s a lot greater than that. Individuals assume that we’re all in opposition to one another. That’s not the case; we’re only a household. We’re only a city of people that wish to change the world. It would not matter who wears the crown, it would not matter who holds the title, we simply wish to see that the change is made.
How do you have a good time your self?
Via my garments! Via my sense of favor and my style. That’s my time for me. Do I wish to be edgy, a bit extra female, athletic or informal? Selecting garments for the day and matching the way in which I really feel to what I am placing on my physique is how I have a good time myself. I really like doing my hair, doing my nails. simply taking good care of me
How would you describe this chapter of your life? What chapter do you anticipate to return subsequent?
This season for me is de facto huge in God’s timing and all the pieces I have been working in the direction of is coming to fruition. The issues I’ve spent years engaged on are lastly taking place. It’s a very lovely season. The season I hope to see is considered one of different individuals reaping what they’ve sown. I would like the subsequent season of my life to be able the place I may give again and be a blessing to different individuals. Sooner or later I’d love to have the ability to come again and provides a few scholarships. I’d love to purchase my mother a home and retire my mother so she would not should work anymore. I’d love to have the ability to expertise issues with my closest family and friends and be capable of give them issues they’ve by no means had earlier than.
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