I cannot believe it has been four years since I took office as president of the Illinois State University’s Black Colleagues Association (BCA). At the beginning of my first term, I shared with you how my Redbird pride and passion had been reignited through my involvement with BCA; that I was excited and eager to build upon the foundation of the past leaders and through it all, we are and always will be a family.
As my tenure comes to an end, I am so proud of what we have accomplished in these four years. We have continued to host events and volunteer our service. On an administrative level, we have become more fiscally responsible. We have increased our membership numbers. Each year, we brought you a Homecoming better than the previous one (with the past two featuring renowned artists), and we are committed to making next year’s the best ever. Our presence on campus has been elevated. Relationships with University officials, with the Office of Alumni Engagement, and most importantly, with the students have been strengthened.
I am truly elated and most proud of our scholarship program and our contributions to Redbirds Rising: The Campaign for Illinois State. Over the past four years, through contributions and endowments, BCA has increased the number and value of scholarships awarded. As such, we are able to match all scholarships administered through BCA, allowing all recipients to receive a scholarship valued at $2,000.
I end my tenure knowing without your support and the best board of directors one could ask for (I wish I had space to name you all), none of these accomplishments would exist. I also want to introduce our newly elected executive board. These individuals will continue to grow and make BCA prosper:
President: Rhona Israel ’83
Vice president: Michelle Ford ’86
Secretary: Angelyn Anderson ’95
Corresponding secretary: Teresita Scott ’93
Treasurer: Daniel Pierson ’81
Members at large: Stan Shingles ’82 and Shelly Booker ’85
I invite each of you to become involved with BCA. There is so much more to be done, and it can only be done with you!
