Lewisville ISD recently hosted its fourth annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) College Fair at Marcus High School 9th Grade Campus. The fair was attended by nearly 200 high school students from across the district and gave students the opportunity to connect with HBCUs. Representatives and alumni from nearly 20 HBCUs took part in the event, showcasing their schools via booths, presentations and open discussion. Community partners, student life organizations and the Lewisville Education Foundation also took part in the event.
After being hosted virtually in 2021, the return of the in-person event was a culmination of months of planning by the HBCU College Fair committee. The committee, made up of campus leadership, counselors and teachers, is led by Marcus 9 Principal Chantell Upshaw and Marcus High School counselor Christina Beck.
“I am very pleased with the success of our 4th HBCU College Fair in LISD,” said Beck. “We changed the format this year to an evening event, and I was glad that parents and other community members were able to attend. Our LISD students really enjoy this college fair and look forward to it each year!”
Four years into hosting the event, the scope of the HBCU College Fair has expanded beyond just the LISD community. Beck says that other districts intend to use it as a model for their own events.
“Other districts in DFW reached out and were able to attend as well and made great connections so that they can provide an HBCU college fair within their district. The vision that the great Ms. Vernell Greg brought to LISD 4 years ago had truly flourished, growing bigger and better each year. I am honored to be on the committee for our district.”
The HBCU College Fair was conceptualized by longtime LISD teacher and school board member Vernell Gregg, who served the district for 39 years and continues to be an advocate for the event.
This year’s event featured an opening performance by the Hebron High School Step Team before students and their parents spread out to several break-out sessions. One of these featured a panel of HBCU alumni and students, many with LISD ties, who took time to discuss their campus experience, the expectations of college coursework and the importance of community and networking. The panel consisted of: LHS and Southern alum Donovan Brittian; LHS and PVAMU alumna Laurrin Clark; Grambling alum Prince Hutchinson; MHS alum and current PVAMU student Collin Johnson; and MHS and PVAMU alumna Aloria Prince.
LISD Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Matthew Morris stressed the importance of spotlighting HBCUs.
“An event like the HBCU College Fair shows that our district is committed to all students in our community,” he emphasized. “We recognize that HBCUs can be for every student, even though they have a history of supporting students who have been historically disenfranchised. I’m glad our district continues to support this event and look forward to it becoming larger and grander in the years to come.”
Chantell Upshaw echoed Morris’ praise of the event and the importance of connecting students with HBCUs.
“It means a lot that we can bring together the students of LISD from all of the high schools and the community,” she said. “Everyone who attended an HBCU and supports HBCUs is very proud of the rich history and they’re always excited to share that with students and open their eyes and open the doors for them. To see students interacting with each other from other campuses and being able to share an experience… it’s very special.”
Upshaw, an alumna of Prairie View A&M, has firsthand knowledge of how powerful an HBCU education can be.
“Being able to go to an HBCU, I was able to expand my horizons. I was able to expand what I could do as well as who I could be.”
Morris, an alum of Huston-Tillotson University, an HBCU in Austin, TX, was moved by the student response to the event.
“Seeing the kids today and seeing the light in their eyes, in this space, especially with the last two years that we’ve had… you don’t get to see a lot of those moments.”
In 2019, Lewisville ISD held its first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) College Fair. Annually, roughly 200 high school students from Flower Mound High School, Hebron High School, Lewisville High School, Marcus High School and The Colony High School attend the event. Find more information at lisd.net/HBCU.
