What HBCU Means To Me

By Nafisa Shah

“Know Thyself” is what I am striving to live by so I know where I am going.

This plays a big part in my life and why I desire to go to a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). All my life I grew up in Durham, North Carolina and I always have attended a predominately black school.

As I got older and entered high school at Hillside High School; the oldest public school in Durham, I started to wonder what I would like to do after high school. I grew up knowing that my mom attended The University of Tennessee, a predominantly white institution, and how she really didn’t like it there. That’s why she then went to North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (NCA&T) and North Carolina Central University (NCCU), two HBCUs.

Another influence was my dad, who attended North Carolina Central University as well. So, I decided I wanted to go on a tour to both of these schools.

In 9th grade I took a tour of NCA&T and fell in love with the school the moment we started the tour. I felt as if that was the right environment for me, and ever since I have been determined to do go there.

I am determined to go to an HBCU because I feel that people think that HBCUs can’t provide as good an education as a PWI, which is not true.