Adding yet another title to her already impressive resume, Miss North Carolina A&T, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.’s Miss Black and Gold, Ngozi Opara won first runner up in the 2009-2010 National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Pageant held in Atlanta, Saturday Sept. 26.

“I was really excited and proud of myself,” said Opara. “All the months of preparing and training really paid off.”

Opara, along with 27 other queens from 27 different Historically Black College and Universities throughout the nation ranging from Howard University to Alabama A&M, came together at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta hotel to compete in this year’s pageant entitled, “HBCU’s Still Relevant…Still Needed.”

For her talent, Opara acted out a previously recorded original spoken word piece.

“It made me really look at myself,” said Miss Sophomore Jasmine Gurley. ” You hear about stuff like that all the time from preachers, but when you hear it from someone close to you, it means more.”

This annual competition of queens is a way to showcase young African American women representing the various HBCUs according to the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc website.

They are judged on poise and projection, oratory, talent, and an interview. The winner of the competition will serve as a national representative and advocate of HBCUs and they will receive an academic scholarship in addition to prizes.

Opara will also receive a scholarship that totals $2,500 and if the reigning Miss National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame cannot fulfill her duties, Opara will become queen.For the oratory portion of the pageant, Opara performed a heartfelt story about her Nigerian mother’s struggle coming to America, and how attending an HBCU impacted her life.

“She thought outside the box,” said Gurley. “All the other queens used history like talking about Martin Luther King Jr. She pulled from a more personable place and that gave it [her talent] an extra element.”

In addition to the competition, queens and participants in the festivities were able to attend various workshops located in the hotel, which ranged from a positive image program to a Town Hall Meeting with collaboration with the 100 Black Men of Atlanta.

“A&T showed up, and showed out at all the workshops. All of us were in attendance and participated well in them,” said Sophomore Class King, Dion Harris.

“What sticks out most on this experience is how powerful black women strive to represent not only HBCU’s but education. Seeing positive people doing positive things was truly a beautiful experience,” said Opara.

A&T’s alumna, and the current Miss National Black College Alumni Hall, TaNisha Fordham crowned  Kendall Isadore, Miss Howard as the 2009-2010 queen.

• Kelcie McCrae