/news-archive/tag/anthony-alexander/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Fri, 14 Dec 2018 14:18:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2018/12/14/anthony-alexander-grad/ Fri, 14 Dec 2018 14:18:59 +0000 /news/?p=72972 ... New degree leads to dream career for single dad]]> Less than 48 hours after Anthony Alexander graduates from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in applied communication on Dec. 15, he will begin his dream job as the dean of students at in Little Rock.聽聽 鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock has given me the tools I needed to get where I am now as dean of students,鈥� said Alexander, 32, of Little Rock. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an enormous honor to come right out of graduation and start a dream position. Because they were so impressed with my resume and the education I was receiving, in their words, they couldn鈥檛 help but offer me the position. Without my education, I would not have the future I have going forward.鈥� Alexander first started at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2004 after graduating J.A. Fair High School. He left in 2006 after learning some life-altering news. 鈥淚 had to drop out due to having a child on the way,鈥� he said. 鈥淥f course, you don鈥檛 make any money at school, and I had to go make money. Two years after Anthony Jr. was born, his mother passed, and I became a single parent. He鈥檚 10 now.鈥� Alexander always had a dream of finishing his education and making a difference in the lives of young people. It was that dream that led him to come back to school at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in spring 2014. 聽 鈥淎nthony found a home in the Department of Applied Communication and started succeeding in his coursework,鈥� said Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the Department of Applied Communication and Alexander鈥檚 advisor. 鈥淗e eventually switched to the online program for his major in order to work multiple jobs to support his growing family. Anthony is an example of a resilient and persistent student, who overcomes hardships to pursue his dreams. He is already paying it forward to other young people who need to be inspired to go after their dreams as well. We are very proud of Anthony’s achievements to reach his dreams!鈥� One of Alexander鈥檚 motivations for completing his degree was to show the importance of education to his son. 鈥�That is the reason I got back into school,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wanted to show my son that no matter how long it takes, you can always finish what you started. I can鈥檛 preach the gospel if I don鈥檛 practice it myself. It鈥檇 be hard to tell them they need to go to school when I dropped out myself. My grandmother helped me out through school. She would watch him when I had to take a final or go to class.鈥� Over the past six years, Alexander has found his passion working with children in the Little Rock School District. 鈥淚 love kids. They fulfill my life. They give me a sense that I am working for a purpose,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a new experience every day when you are working with kids. I like to think that I can help mold a kid into a direction that I could have had at our age. I don鈥檛 look like your typical educator, so they tend to latch on to me. The kids at the school I work at call me 鈥楿nc,鈥� because I became the uncle of the school.鈥� When Alexander was a child, he was raised by a wonderful single grandmother, Carol Alexander, but says he missed out on having a positive male role model in his life. 鈥淲hen I was in school, I was a little class clown,鈥� Alexander said. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to crack jokes and talk a lot. My grandmother raised me, so I didn鈥檛 have either parent. I never had a male role model try to guide me when I needed to be guided. I feel like a lot of our young men need that. Education is a women-driven field, so I think young men sometimes need an adult male to guide them.鈥� He鈥檚 a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and has found a mentor in Chatham-Carpenter. 鈥淒r. Carpenter was a great mentor at the university,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 met my oldest son since I鈥檝e had to bring him to her office several times over the years. She has always been very understanding since I am not your typical student. We鈥檝e always had great communication. She has been really great and fun too.鈥� Now Alexander and his fianc茅, Leyonda Foote, have another son, Aceton, who will turn one the day after Alexander鈥檚 graduation. 鈥淚鈥檓 a semi-professional rugby player, and I play on the U.S. Select South team,鈥� Alexander said. 鈥淢y fianc茅 complimented one of the photos I did for a rugby calendar. Since then, we鈥檝e never been apart, except when I travel. It鈥檚 like it was meant to be. She鈥檚 always treated my son like he was hers. She helped out a lot too to keep me motivated and in school.鈥� In his new career, Alexander is looking forward to implementing new programs to help students learn and be more active. 鈥淚鈥檝e never the type to just stay stationary or complacent,鈥� he said. 鈥淒ean of students is a couple of stages past where I was going to start at. I would like to move up in administration and add programs that could help students learn in the future and fun activities. I鈥檓 big on physical education. Maybe I鈥檒l be a principal of my own school one day.鈥� In the upper right photo, Anthony Alexander will begin his job as dean of students at eStem Elementary School in Little Rock just two days after his graduation from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Photo by Benjamin Krain.]]>