It’s that season!
The bittersweet time where we have to see our fellow graduates leave the nest and take the world by its reigns. With all that they have learned from their university, and especially, at the illustrious and prestigious Clark Atlanta our graduates are more than equipped with the armor to take in the world.
I decided to highlight one amazing and warm soul that I have been able to experience here at CAU, a person who has helped me more than I can imagine, a person who definitely has left her footprint here – the one and only: Dynecia “Dee” Clark.
Dynecia made it clear how Clark has helped get that “hustle” mindset. “They taught me how to find a way or make one. When you can’t get into a position that you want, you have to find ways to gain that same skill and network with those same people in order to achieve your goals.”
To look back at her time at the illustrious, Dee was a social butterfly and made sure she took advantage of her time here, as she was a part of many clubs and organizations such as Class Council, in which she served as Sophomore Class Secretary, Junior Class President, and the Chief of Staff for the Senior Class Council; she was the founder of Holmes Hall Mentorship Program; a Fall 18 Inductee into Sigma Alpha Pi Honors Society (National Society of Leadership and Success); CAU Worship Choir; Spirit Boosters serving on the E-board for 3 consecutive years; and Pre-Alumni Council.
We have people who leave imprints on us, when asked who were your favorite faculty members at Clark Atlanta Dynecia had her list ready! “I have so many!! From Dr. Bass to Professor Daniel to Dr. Platt, but my all-time favorite would have to be Ms. Adams. Ms, Adams has been there for me, through the toughest of times I was encouraged to go further, and she has been my aunt away from home. She has been a big part of my matriculation at Clark and I miss being around her in person dearly!”
There are many memories that will be made at your college band university, I asked Dynecia what were her top three memories at CAU, “Homecoming 2017, coronation to be specific! It was my only time being in it and I had a blast from the practices, learning choreography, and hanging with my best friend whom I escorted, being inaugurated as the 31st Junior Class President Fall 2019, and the first Holmes Hall induction ceremony I did with my program in fall 2018.”
“Inspirational, Challenging, and Unforgettable” are the three words Clark described her CAU experience and she couldn’t put it into better words.
From the beginning, as we all put on our white dress stepping into the unknown of what is to come, Dynecia tells us how Clark has molded her into a better young woman, “I am a true clarkite at heart. I am proud of the woman that I’ve become due to the village that has surrounded me for these past 4 years from administration, to past Miss CAU’s such as Rashida Williamson, mentors such as Max Mathis, Elisha Harris, Warren Hawkins III and many more. I’ve learned how to believe in myself, how to fight for what I believe in, and how to go for my dreams.”
When describing the bond she has created over the time here at Clark Atlanta, one line but definitely what so many people strive for in college “I’ve created family bonds that will last forever.”
Despite the pandemic, CAU has made the announcement everyone was waiting for – our homecoming! When asked if she will be in attendance to our first homecoming since the pandemic, Miss Dee responded like I knew she would, “ I’ll always come home!”
We wish our fellow graduates nothing but abundance for their journey in the real world, but they went to HBCUs so they’re more than prepared!