“Do you want to come out of school with debt or do you want to come out debt free?”

I had received all of my acceptance letters, financial packages and scholarships and my mom and I were discussing my options. At the time my mom was making the case for me to commit to Hampton University. Imma be honest at the time I wasn’t tryna hear it. I knew I would be going to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University (NCAT) and honestly I only applied to Hampton University because my mom, an Historically Black College and/or University (HBCU) graduate herself, told me I had to apply to at least two HBCU’s. After attending an HBCU college tour where I traveled from Philadelphia all the way to Georgia , visiting Morgan State, Howard University, Hampton University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technology, Spelman and Morehouse college, NCAT stood out the most, with Hampton a FAR second.

My mom won, and I entered Hampton University as a freshman Marine and Environmental Science major that Fall. It wasn’t until after my graduation that I realized how important the decision I had made would be in my life. The average student leaves school with more than $30,000 worth of debt. A study by the Brookings Institute concluded that Black students leave school with $7,400 more      debt than their white counterparts, a number that more than doubles due to higher interest and default rates over five years.  With one decision, I had beaten the debt odds.

Hampton University, is a mecca of Black excellence. My fellow freshman classmates had plans of mastering skills in mathematics, the arts, architecture, and medicine. They were ready to become world leaders; and we did. Black professionals who are at the top of their fields typically hold at least one degree from an HBCU. In my own discipline, the impact that HBCU’s have in grooming scientists is profound, and the number of Black scientists can be drawn to a handful of HBCU’s with specific science majors. For example, schools like Hampton University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, and Savannah State have Natural and Life science majors and their contribution to diversity in ocean sciences is strong. These school are integral to the development and diversity in science, however to the majority of scientists, even those conducting Diversity research, their names are unfamiliar or only jog a hint of recognition.

  My time at Hampton was boundless. It was one of the few times I was able to pursue education without racial limits, or stereotypes. Hampton shielded me from the microaggressions that perpetuate in white spaces. I never had to justify my presence in a class or a lab. Never was I mistaken for someone cleaning the building. It was not weird or out of the norm that I was interested in ocean sciences because there were so many other folks who looked like me pursuing endeavors white society excludes us from. Hampton brought together a diverse group of Black students, from all across the country and world. Some like myself grew up in major cities others, others were from rural towns, and while we we had a range of interests      and talents, our time at Hampton and our experiences navigating a racist society bound us together. Now don’t get me wrong this wasn’t a Kumbaya movie; we all didn’t get along, or for that matter like each other, but there was an underlying respect. Please note these are my feelings towards Hampton are my own. Not all Hampton graduates feel this way or had the same experience as me. As I stated earlier Black people are diverse and Hamptonian’s are the epitome of this diversity. Hampton creates a space that normalizes being a Black high-achieving scholar, and I will always cherish my time there, and respect what the institution and other HBCU’s have done for the advancement of Black scholars.

Would I have had a positive experience if I had attended NCAT instead? What-if questions are always hard and sometimes lead us down the rabbit hole? What I do know is that I wouldn’t change anything about my undergraduate experience looking back now. The friends, education and experiences added to the professional, educational and  personal foundation I have today as an adult and I am content with this.