| An evening with Dr. Maya Angelou at Cheyney University will be held on March 22, 2012. – AP PHOTO |
Dr. Maya Angelou, will appear on Cheyney University’s campus in support of the Keystone Honors Academy on March 22. She will be the featured guest during a VIP reception and lecture which is open to the general public.
A recipient of more than 30 honorary degrees and numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Angelou’s appearance is being partially funded by Philadelphia headquartered AmeriHealth Mercy and a Pennsylvania Department of Education Higher Education Assistance Grant.
According to a January report by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, nearly half of the HBCUs surveyed graduated African-American students at a rate of 32 percent.
Collaborations with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and West Chester University have aided the Keystone Honors Academy with retaining students and surpassing the national graduation average among its students that enroll.
“The honors programs at West Chester University and Cheyney University collaborate regularly. West Chester students benefit from exposure to the HBCU experience and the cultural programming available on our campus, and our students benefit from the many academic resources available at West Chester. A group of Cheyney's honors students will participate in a conflict resolution program this spring with West Chester students,” Kent said.
Students of the Keystone Honors Academy also participate in study abroad programs that have visited countries all throughout Europe, Ghana, Egypt, China, and parts of South America. This year students will visit England as the program continues to encourage appreciation for other cultures and their educational practices.
With more than 500 alumni that are represented in fields including law, medicine, public administration, business administration, public health and public health administration, the Keystone Honors Academy has gradually made an imprint throughout Delaware County, the greater region and the world.
Former Cheyney University National Association for the Advancement of Colored People advisor and Director of Recreation for the City of Coatesville, Felicia Seamon, is a proud Cheyney University alumna that has witness firsthand the benefits of the Keystone Honors Academy.
“I know many of the graduates personally and I believe that the Honors Academy, through its rigorous standards, conference and event commitments, afford students the ability to stand out both professionally and socially,” she said.
Founder of the Gift Preparatory School and ReCreate Summer Camp, Seamon is “forever invested” and a “continued supporter of the staff persons” that manage the Keystone Honors Academy. “We are literally standing on the shoulders of every person who thought that it was important that education be accessible to every being.”
One such luminary and education advocate epitomizing Seamon’s sentiments, Dr. Maya Angelou, will appear on Cheyney University’s campus in support of the Keystone Honors Academy. On March 22 Maya Angelou will be the featured guest during a VIP reception and lecture which is open to the general public.
A recipient of more than 30 honorary degrees and numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Angelou’s appearance is being partially funded by Philadelphia headquartered AmeriHealth Mercy and a Pennsylvania Department of Education Higher Education Assistance Grant.
For information about sponsoring the events, please contact Mandy Santiago, Director of Development, at 610.399.2154.
Tickets may be purchased online, onsite at the Cheyney University Office of the Bursar (First Floor, Wade Wilson Building), or by calling 610.399.2121. All proceeds from the events will benefit Keystone Honors Academy students.
