This college standout is active on campus, but her story didn’t start on this campus. It started at another school that she says just wasn’t the right fit for her. Now thriving, Kayla Wright talked with Symone Woolridge about her experience at Lemoyne Owen College.
“Not only is it a part of our history, it is a way to continue that history on throughout the years. Without donations, without people supporting us, we will not last,” Wright said.
As a private historically black college in Memphis, Lemoyne Owen College produces excellent students.
“I’m Sainna Christian and I have a 4.0 GPA.”
“I’m Avianne Robinson and I have a 4.0 GPA”
“A lot of people assume there are only a few HBCU in the whole country,” Kayla Wright tells us. “We have so many schools that many people don’t know about because those same schools are on big platforms but we will never get there until people put into their own community.”
A new wave of donations is what the school hoped to achieve through their day of giving. It’s called the 807 Day of Giving, and this is just one of many ways to raise money for resources like scholarships.
The number 807 signifies the college’s address. The day of giving started August 7th.
Kayla Wright came to campus as a transfer student. She is a scholarship recipient for LOC.
“I wasn’t succeeding, I wasn’t thriving and once I got on this campus in this environment around these people, I instantly started thriving,” Wright said.
She says this feels like home. Wright has been around college graduates of black colleges her entire life.
“My mother went to Clark, my father went to Morehouse, my grandparents both went to southern, so we’ve always been on HBCU campuses,” she said.
Wright said she’s been on HBCU campus’ since she was thirteen.
Her family took her campus to campus to ensure sure she always had options when it came to colleges or universities.
“I was the vice president of the business student association,” Wright said. “I’ve always been a student ambassador at LOC, I’ve always been a UNCF ambassador for the United Negro College Fund.”
Wright told us, “After that I progressed on I was the treasurer of my sophomore class for SGA, then I was chief of staff for SGA from 2019-2020 and last semester last academic school year I was Miss United Negro college fund.”
Kayla Wright is a walking example of how fundraising money is spent on students. She is a living example of success stories through LOC learning and achievement.
The 807 day of giving fundraiser starts every August 7.
You can donate on the school’s website or at the number 901-435-1539.
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