- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock grad wants to be “a beacon of light”

Janea Snyder — Wed, 09 May 2018 15:21:02 +0000

Kenneth Edwards’ path to college took many detours as he struggled to find out who he was and who he wanted to be. He’s done much soul searching over the past three years, and he’s found his answers. On May 12, Edwards of Little Rock will graduate cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in sociology during the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s commencement at the Jack Stephens Center. He knows that his calling is a career working with youth, particularly those who are at-risk. He feels a connection to them because he was one of them for many years. Raised in Little Rock, Edwards spent much of his youth in and out of school and at times, homeless. “What I witnessed growing up was a lot of violence and drug,” he said. He found positive role models at (Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids), a Little Rock program that works to keep at-risk youth in school and on track to graduate. Edwards violated terms of attendance, though, and was kicked out of the program. At 15, he also left home and eventually dropped out of Central High School. “I got detached from school and focused on making money,” said Edwards, who went to work as a car detailer. He stayed with various relatives for periods of times, often not knowing where he would sleep at night. One of his aunts eventually took him to Clarksville, Tennessee, to live with her, but Edwards didn’t adjust well to the transition. “She tried to keep me on target to graduate in 2009, but school wasn’t my main focus. I went from hustling to make ends meet to having everything at my fingertips. I was complacent. I wanted love and didn’t know how to receive it.” With three months left to graduate, Edwards was expelled from school. He was able to finish his diploma through a homeschool academy. He moved back to Little Rock in 2010, this time intent on making some changes. He completed a nine-month program at Little Rock’s Union Rescue Mission where he focused on sobriety, discipline, and faith. He also completed a three-month, pre-employment training program through Our House. “Every time I felt like giving up, I had someone to prop me up,” Edwards said. Knowing he needed an education, he enrolled in ��Vlog��ý-Pulaski Technical College and earned an Associate of Arts. With good grades, he received a transfer scholarship to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2015. He originally wanted to be a teacher, but his sociology courses resonated with him. He credits sociology professors Dr. David Briscoe, Dr. Neveen Shafeek Amin, and Dr. Kinko Ito for helping him find his passion. “They changed my life and my mindset, literally,” he said. “I found meaning in sociology. I was able to heal from my lost victories through a different perspective. I think I’m able to see and empathize because I was shown empathy.” In college, Edwards was part of of the TRiO program, which serves first-generation college students. “Kenneth has continued to deal with and overcome formidable challenges and obstacles,” said Dr. Ge Chen, director of TRiO programs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “He was determined to complete his bachelor degree. He has been working two jobs throughout his college years to cover education expenses, and he also has volunteered at local programs helping at-risk youth. He is a role model for many young people with similar backgrounds and experiences.” Edwards has even been back to P.A.R.K – this time as a mentor for at-risk youth. Along the way, Edwards has also reconnected with his mother, Golden Edwards, who has returned to college after dropping out when she first had Edwards. She graduates May 11 from ��Vlog��ý-PTC and plans to continue her studies at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Edwards is now applying to graduate schools and hopes to earn a master’s degree in counseling education. Eventually, he wants to work with at-risk youth. “I want to be here for these kids,” he said. “I want to be a beacon of light for them. I know that if you don’t change the environment, you become a product of it. I spent my whole life trying not to be a statistic.”

Williams completes degree 15 years after being accepted to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 14:15:18 +0000

In 2002, after taking a gap year, Alexis Parker Williams had been accepted to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and was ready to take the next step in her life. “I chose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock because it is in the metropolitan area, and it is a good school locally and regionally,” she said. “I felt like ��Vlog��ý Little Rock would be the tried and true best route for me.” Life got in the way of Williams’ carefully laid-out college plans. “I applied for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and my mom got sick after that, so I didn’t attend,” she said. “I took another year, and then I started at Pulaski Tech and did a year there. Then I got married and started a family.” After 15 years since first applying to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Williams will graduate Dec. 16 at Jack Stephens Center with a bachelor’s degree in applied communication. “It is very rewarding to get to the finish line, but it has taken everything to get to this point,” Williams said. “I am graduating with honors. I try to show excellence in everything that I do.” During a decade of what Williams refers to as her “period of obscurity,” she had four beautiful children – James III, Joshua, Jonathan, and Naomi – and started a family home construction business with her husband, James, where she works as the business administrator. “I am extremely grateful for God’s grace and my husband’s patience,” she said. “I am humbled because so many mommies put themselves last for the betterment of their families. They often don’t get the recognition and praise they deserve for the contributions inside their homes.” In 2014, Williams completed another year of college at Pulaski Tech before transferring to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in fall 2015. While on campus, she completed an internship with the Communication Skill Center, which helps students with brainstorming, research, organization, outlining, and PowerPoint/Prezi presentations.

Alexis Williams helps a student in the Communication Skill Center. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the De partment of Applied Communication, described Williams as one of the most compassionate and giving students she has ever met. “She has served as a dedicated intern in the Communication Skill Center and often goes above and beyond to help students,” Chatham-Carpenter said. “Alexis is beautiful inside and out, and I am proud to have gotten to know her. She has made me a better person by having gotten to know her.” This semester, Williams interned with, a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with local congregations to offer homeless families shelter, meals, transportation, and case management. Williams worked as the internal communication coordinator. “I would highly recommend most students do an internship,” said Williams, who plans to attend graduate school in fall 2018. “It would highly help in getting out of the classroom and putting your skills to use in the real world. Both internships really helped me develop my professional skills.” When she graduates, Williams will have her “cheering section,” including her husband, four children, a brother traveling from Mississippi, and a sister coming from Oklahoma. “I am humbled to have been able to pour my effort into my children and husband, but also to have this experience for myself. It makes me very proud,” she said. “I’ve spent a lot of years watching my peers go on and do great things in life while I was changing a diaper or running to parent-teacher meetings. It is very humbling, and I am grateful.” In the upper right photo, Alexis Williams is ready for commencement. Photo by Randall Lee.

Celebrated author kicks off NEA Big Read Program

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 13:01:33 +0000

Author Luis Alberto Urrea Tuesday drew a crowd to the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall for the Sept. 19 kickoff of the (NEA) Big Read program. Urrea’s book, “Into the Beautiful North,” was selected as the focus of the which aims to engage diverse audiences and connect individuals and organizations through reading and sharing stories. On Tuesday, Urrea delighted audience members with stories about growing up in Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego with an American mother and Mexican father. “Our kitchen was the U.S, but our living room was Mexico,” Urrea said. “I was raised twice.” Many of the characteristics of the places and people from his childhood feature prominently in “Into the Beautiful North.” Through his storytelling, audience members came to understand how Urrea’s perspective shaped characters in his novel. His main character, 19-year-old Nayeli, is based on a childhood acquaintance with whom Urrea keeps in contact. In the book, Nayeli and her friends — inspired by the film, “The Magnificent Seven” — journey to the U.S. to bring back her father and six other men to defend their village. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock English major Nathaniel Darbonne attended the event as extra credit for a class, and his friend, Anastacia Santa Cruz, a technical writing major, tagged along for fun. “I loved the way he talked and the stories he told,” Cruz said. “I definitely want to read the book.” The duality of his upbringing shaped not only Urrea’s life as an adult but also his professional writing. Frequently called a “border writer,” Urrea’s writings often involve around issues related to immigration, though as Urrea said, “Every town in America is a border town now.” Always the writer, Urrea was the first in his family to go to college. He is a member of the Latino Literature Hall of Fame and has written numerous works of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. He taught expository writing at Harvard from 1982 to 1990 and has held teaching positions at Massachusetts Bay Community College and the University of Colorado. Today, he teaches creative writing at the University of Illinois-Chicago and is working on another book. Urrea also said “Into the Beautiful North” had enjoyed “modest success,” but sales exploded once the NEA selected his book for the Big Read program. Little Rock is among 75 communities nationwide participating in the NEA Big Read from September 2017 to June 2018. The NEA Big Read is presented in partnership with The Mexican Consulate, Little Rock School District, El Zocalo Immigrant Resource Center, The Clinton Center, Central Arkansas Library System, and ��Vlog��ý-Pulaski Technical College. The entire NEA Big Read program will run from Tuesday, Sept. 19, to Friday, Nov. 3, and feature presentations, book discussions, film screenings, and related arts programming. Contributors for the kickoff event included the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock William G. Cooper Jr. Honors Program in English, Arkansas Humanities Council, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Ottenheimer Library, Division of Student Affairs, World Languages Department, Donaghey Scholars Program, History Department, Anthropology/Sociology Department, as well as KLRE/K��Vlog��ýR. View a calendar of events for the NEA Big Read at.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock grad wants to be “a beacon of light”

Williams completes degree 15 years after being accepted to ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Celebrated author kicks off NEA Big Read Program

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock grad wants to be “a beacon of light”

Williams completes degree 15 years after being accepted to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock