Black Excellence Scholars

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 
Hometown: Bay Area, California
Major: Physiology and Medical Sciences
Minor: Biochemistry
Year in School: Second Year

Black excellence comes down to the ability to thrice and prosper in a society that constantly finds ways to tear people of color down. Breaking those barriers and continuing to work and fight for the community can also be another way of demonstrating Black excellence. Black excellence is everywhere.

Hometown: Kisumu, Kenya
Major: Electrical Engineering
Minor: Astronomy

Black excellence is a multifaceted celebration of achievement, resilience, and perseverance with the Black community. It serves as a beacon of hope and empowerment, inspiring future generations to defy the odds and redefine success on their own terms.

Pronouns: She/Her 
Hometown: Tucson, AZ 
Majors: Molecular and Cellular Biology 
Minor: Nutritional Science
Year in School: First Year

Black Excellence means the ability to excel in ways that uplift our community and act as a guiding force for those around us. Whether it is through actions that are big or small, if even just one individual is positively affected by it, then they have already exhibited Black Excellence. This means not only pushing through the obstacles that we often face but also entering and prevailing in new spaces that remind our counterparts that we are always here and our community isn’t going anywhere.

Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Goodyear, AZ
Major: Business Management
Year in School: Second Year

I define Black Excellence as striving to elevate to new heights as a community. Many names should be displayed in history books for their discoveries and inventions, but they didn’t get the recognition they deserved. However, they persevered because they didn’t do it for recognition; they strived to achieve something that would uplift our community, which is what we should do for generations to come.

Pronouns: He/Him/His
Hometown: Cleveland, Tennessee 
Major: Accounting  
Year in School: Third Year

Black Excellence means continuing to defy social stereotypes and systematic oppression to succeed. It means taking on the challenges that are presented to us throughout life and using them as motivation, allowing them to build our resilience to achieve our goals.

Pronouns: They/Them 
Hometown: Avondale, AZ 
Major: Pharmaceutical Science
Year in School: Second Year

When I think about Black Excellence I think about resilience, community, aspiration, triumph of adversity, and pushing boundaries of success. Going past any limit that has been previously set for our people and continuously reaching those and going beyond it.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Hometown: Houston, TX 
Major: Psychology
Minor: Journalism
Year in School: Second Year

To have Black Excellence does not necessarily mean to be a large trailblazer or a pioneer, but it means being an individual and making an impact, whether it be a dent or a hole. It is being strong against the trials and tribulations of life while shining your light onto others in your own special way.

Pronouns: She/Her 
Hometown: Oakley, CA 
Major: Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
Minor: Health and Human Values
Year in School: Fourth Year  

Black Excellence means celebrating, uplifting, and supporting our community. It takes a lot of strength being black even in today’s society. Despite barriers that are placed upon us, we are all here and working towards bringing black excellence to our future career fields and I love to see other black people being successful and thriving.

Pronouns: She/Her 
Major: Law
Minor: Philosophy
Year in School: Fourth Year

When I think of the phrase Black Excellence, I not only think of myself, but also the Black Community as a whole. I think of Black Excellence as the Black individuals' abilities of being able to persevere through difficulties while working towards achieving their goals, empowering each other, and also being able to grow successfully by coming together as a unit. Overall, when I think of Black Excellence, I think of it as the means of being able to celebrate not only myself, but also other Black individuals’ achievements that they have accomplished through different areas of interests as well.

Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Major: Neuroscience & Cognitive Sciences
Minors (s): Biochemistry, Health & Human Values 
Year in School: Second Year 

To me, Black Excellence embodies resilience, determination, and purpose. It reflects a personal commitment to growth and success, honoring cultural heritage while creating opportunities that uplift others. Black Excellence is about contributing to something greater than oneself, leaving a legacy that empowers and inspires future generations, while embracing the diverse paths we each take toward achieving excellence.

Pronouns: She/Her 
Hometown: Queen Creek, AZ
Major: PPEL (Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law)
Minor: Bioethics
Year in School: Second Year

Black Excellence is the innate capacity in every single one of us to fight with fierceness and to rise against the systems designed to make us fall. It is the joy and identity we find in our colorful culture and history. It is a culture that has been around for hundreds of generations passed down from parent to child and a testament to the resilience and intelligence found in each of us. Black Excellence is the ability to not only overcome but to thrive.
 

Pronouns: She/Her 
Hometown: Aurora, CO 
Major: Pharmaceutical Sciences
Minor: Biochemistry
Year in School: Second Year

Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Major: Biotechnology
Minors (s): French, Software Engineering
Year in School: Second Year 

When I think of the phrase “Black Excellence” my family’s history comes to mind. If I were to condense the meaning of Black excellence as I have experienced it into three words, I would choose endurance, vulnerability, and joyfulness. Black excellence is the desire for diversity in life, the involvement in disciplines across bounds (from art to science to history), and the determination to have an impact in life and to do so soulfully. Black excellence is resilience and joy!