黑料吃瓜

As a young teenager, Tonika Green found the red brick backdrop of Virginia State University to be her gateway to higher education. Raised in a predominantly Black community in Virginia鈥檚 state capital, Richmond, Green felt at home while attending sporting events on the Petersburg campus of the Historically Black College or University (HBCU) where her great aunt worked as a staff member.

She also loved The Woo Woos.

"Back then, in the early 鈥�90s, their cheer team was legendary 鈥� everyone wanted to be a Woo Woo,鈥� said Green, now associate vice president for Campus Community Affairs at 黑料吃瓜. "The energy, pride and excellence they brought to the field drew me to the university. It felt like an open door to a sense of belonging and a campus vibe that made me feel like I could truly see myself there or at a similar college."

So when Green was recently accepted into the prestigious American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program 鈥� a yearlong learning opportunity for aspiring higher education leaders 鈥� she knew exactly where she wanted to be placed. 

鈥淣ot all of my choices were HBCUs, but a lot of them were," Green said. "I decided that if I'm going to make this the best year ever for me in my career, I need to go where it feeds my soul and be where I feel my best self 鈥� my most authentic self.鈥� 

Green, who holds a professorship in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology, moved back to Virginia at the end of July. On Aug, 8, she began her fellowship under the guidance of VSU President Makola M. Abdullah as one of 26 ACE Fellows embedded at universities around the country. 

In addition to shadowing university leaders, each Fellow must complete a project that will benefit their home university upon their return. At Virginia State, Green plans to study how HBCUs effectively foster Black student success and how that might be duplicated at 黑料吃瓜. Her learning goals include deep dives into fiscal responsibility, people management, policy and practices, and government relations.

For Green, the fellowship is an exciting step toward reaching her ultimate aspiration in academia.

鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to go from professor to president,鈥� she said. "Here in California and across the country, we鈥檙e also fortunate to have some incredible Black women serving as college and university presidents. They are trailblazers and watching their leadership in action is both inspiring and empowering. It鈥檚 giving me the boost I need to pursue this lifelong goal with even greater determination.鈥�

At 黑料吃瓜, her inspiration has been fueled by President Adela de la Torre and Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity Chris Manning, who himself had been an ACE Fellow earlier in his career. 

After de la Torre鈥檚 inauguration in 2019, Green sent de la Torre an email to introduce herself, not necessarily expecting a reply. Instead, she got an invitation to dine at Eureka.

"I couldn鈥檛 believe I was having lunch with the president of the university,鈥� Green recalls with a smile. 鈥淚t really speaks to her character and the way she builds genuine connections. She has consistently championed my growth and aspirations. When it came time to apply for the ACE Fellowship, which requires a presidential nomination, both she and my supervisor, Chris Manning, were more than willing to support me."

Now back in Virginia, where she hasn鈥檛 lived since she was an undergraduate student at Old Dominion University, Green has been flooded with memories. During the fellowship, she鈥檚 living in her beloved late grandmother鈥檚 home in Richmond, where she herself lived as a teenager. She recently restored the house.

鈥淚'm connected to the soil in Virginia,鈥� Green said. 鈥淭his is full circle for me."