A farewell event for 2018-2019 Miss N.C. A&T, Jada Brown, was held in preparation to compete for the Miss National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame title.
During the Miss N.C. A&T Showcase, Brown displayed her pageantry skills. She practiced her oratory, talent and question portions. The event also included well wishes and support from N.C. A&T’s Student Government Association, friends, family and fellow Aggies.
“I think she did a great job and I’m very excited to see what she does in Atlanta,” said Nepri James, a senior business management student.
The National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation Incorporated is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and was founded to sustain and grow HBCUs through alumni recognition, scholarships, training, technical assistance, and programs, according to the NBCA website.
NBCA will host their 33rd annual Hall of Fame weekend on Sept. 26-30. The weekend is set to include a plethora of activities to promote the sensibility of HBCUs. It will provide a forum for HBCU students, faculty, staff and alumni to strengthen their skills through workshops, seminars and programs.
Amongst many other events, the conference will include the Competition of Black College Queens. This competition will consist of Brown and 35 other HBCU queens from schools such as Albany State, Payne College, and Fort Valley State University.
The Competition of Black College Queens will be held on Sept. 29 at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Atlanta, GA. Its driving focus is to provide an opportunity for young black women attending HBCUs to prepare for their future.
Although attending this year’s competition required pre-registration in August, all Aggies are encouraged to send positivity and well wishes for Brown as she represents N.C.A&T at the pageant next weekend.
“We have truly enjoyed seeing you grow and witnessing the hard work and passion you have put forth with your position,” said Tyra Slade, senior criminal justice and social work student and SGA attorney general.
“We wish you nothing but the best of luck in Atlanta and we know you’ll represent the university well.”
The program places emphasis on the discovery of self-awareness, pride in their institutions, social confidence, self-pride and social awareness upon the HBCU queens through the competition.
Learning outcomes include comfortable public articulation, effective speaking for communication improvement and the ability to explain their platform successfully.
In addition to prominence on personal growth, the participants are encouraged to have fun and make memories as well.
The HBCU queens will be judged based on an interview and oratory speech in order to be placed in the Top 10 highest scoring women. Thereafter, the highest scoring five women will be determined based on the talent segment. Finally, the overall winner will be determined based on oratory, evening wear, and the Question and Answer segment.
The winner for the 2018 Miss National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame will become the official representation of the organization, while also given the honor of wearing distinguished regalia. The winner is also awarded a scholarship of $3,500.
There are four runner-up and two Congeniality prizes available as well, which include their own scholarships.
After a summer of hard work and preparation for the pageant, Brown is excited to head to Atlanta and be a part of the Competition of Black College Queens.
“To whom much is given, much is required. While I am under a lot of pressure, I know that pressure creates diamonds,” said Jada Brown, a senior psychology student, and Miss N.C. A&T.
