A Better Chance TV with host Dr. Monique S. Robinson
Educational Conversations with Scholars in Mind. "Our mission is to empower and uplift scholars pursuing higher education at HBCUs, ensuring they have the resources, support, and opportunities needed for a successful future. Through mentorship, scholarship programs, and community engagement, we strive to create a pathway to excellence, fostering academic achievement, leadership development, and a strong sense of cultural identity. Together, we are building a brighter future for young scholars, strengthening the legacy of HBCUs, and fueling positive change in our communities."
A Better Chance TV with host Dr. Monique S. Robinson
What happens when tradition shapes your future?
What happens when family traditions shape your college choice? Zemyria Jones, a top 20 finalist in the Takisha A. Davis Scholarship Competition, stands at this pivotal crossroads as she prepares to attend Tuskegee University while continuing her family's rich HBCU legacy.
This heartwarming conversation between host Monique Robinson and Zamyria's mother, Joletta Ellington, reveals the beautiful complexity of HBCU family traditions. As a first-generation college graduate herself, Joletta started the family's HBCU journey, which now continues through Zamyria's choice of Tuskegee over Alabama A&M (where other family members attended). Their story of "house divided" shirts during rivalry games and shared tailgating traditions showcases how these institutions foster both healthy competition and deep family bonds.
Beyond the campus experience, Zemyria's nursing aspirations reflect the service-minded values often cultivated at HBCUs. Her mother proudly shares how Zamyria will use her education to support their community, including helping her aging grandparents who live near campus. This powerful reminder of education's purpose - not just personal advancement but community upliftment - resonates throughout their conversation. Meanwhile, Joletta offers touching advice to other parents preparing for the empty nest: "Spend as much time as you can with your child while they're here with you."
As the scholarship competition enters its final voting phase (closing September 5th), this episode celebrates not just academic achievement, but the incredible support systems that help students thrive. Watch how the rigorous multi-stage process prepares students for real-world challenges while building essential skills in public speaking, interviewing, and self-advocacy. Cast your vote for Zemyria and other deserving finalists today and join us in supporting the next generation of HBCU excellence!
Welcome to a better chance for youth television show with your host, monique Robinson, where we highlight, celebrate and recognize students from all over the country who are doing great things in the classroom, community and athletics. Every student deserves an opportunity, an opportunity for hope and a future. So let's celebrate our students, the next generation of teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs and future leaders. Join us on another incredible segment of A Better Chance for Youth show with your host, monique Robinson.
Speaker 3:Welcome, welcome, welcome. So look, we are on actually day four of the Takesha A Davis Scholarship Competition. Now we're on day four, round three. So you know, round three is my absolute favorite because I get to meet the parents and, you know, understand things from a parent point of view of actually involving your child in a scholarship is such of this magnitude Like it's a lot, we require a lot, but the good thing is there's no GPA requirement. But we do give you a lot of rigorous things to do. So, if you have been following all the young people that have been in this competition, starting with the initial applications, which was 70. Then we did our cut based off of who followed directions and turned in the right information. So that took us down to 66. Then we went to 50, 40, 30, I think, 33. And now our top 20. So, according to the judges, voting is open until September 5th and then that following week we will average the essay scores, average all the scores together and out of that our top five will receive their stipends. But you got to make it to 10 to be considered for the top five.
Speaker 3:So I have a brand new family today and you know, before we came on the air. We kind of like laughed. Y'all know, dr mo is just, I'm just one of those people. I like to laugh and have a good time. But if you are in the texas area, it is extremely hot. Today we're gonna be in triple digits. So if my forehead is sweating, trust me, I have the air on in here, but it's extremely hot, so pray for your girl. So I am going to bring to the show a wonderful family that is headed to a school that I actually like to go to during football season, but after this break I will bring them on and we're going to get to know another one of our fabulous families who are in the top 20.
Speaker 4:Are you interested in attending an historically black college or university? Hello, my name is Robert Mason. I'm president and founder of the Common Black College Application. Our application allows students to apply to over 50 historically black colleges and universities at the same time, for only $20. Hbcu graduates have been some of the most renowned individuals in their respective fields since the late 1800s. In addition to that, our faculty and staff are truly committed to your success and they have a vested interest in seeing that you do well. That, coupled with the academic rigor and the fact that you have established lifelong relationships, are just some of the many benefits of your attending an historically black college or university. So if you're interested in completing the Common Black College App, visit our website at commonblackcollegeappcom to apply now. Thank you, and get educated.
Speaker 3:Welcome back, welcome back. So I told you I was going to have a new family here today. So, hey guys, how are you Good, how are you? I can't complain, other than it being hot Like I'm like sweating, and I'm indoors, oh, you're cool down, you're cool down. Only in Texas, only in Texas. So tell us who you are and where you're from and what school you are headed to, really really soon.
Speaker 5:My name is Amari Jones. I'm headed to Tuskegee University.
Speaker 3:And who do you have with you today?
Speaker 5:I have my mom. Her name is Joletta Ellington.
Speaker 3:Hey, hi, nice to meet you. She's like my mom. So, mom, you ready for her to go to school, like yesterday, right?
Speaker 5:Not really, Not really. She's an only child, so you know we've been together for 18 years, so we have that tight bond so but she's going to be okay and I'm I'm gonna be okay. She's only three hours away, so it's okay driving distance.
Speaker 3:So I'm good. Yeah, that's that's driving. This is better than 18, because I know there's one on on here the other day I think it was 18 or 10 and she was like I gotta drive 10 hours but I'll get there. I was like, yeah, that's funny, I don't know about that, but I'll get there. I was like that's a plane. I don't know about that, that's a plane ride for me. So why I'm thinking on the line of this during the process of her going to school and going through the whole deciding on the school? Because in September we start a whole new class of young people and educating them about HBCUs in the college process. Now, how would you say this experience with your daughter was?
Speaker 5:It was. It wasn't a hard process. The hardest thing was to get Zemire to apply for scholarships, but we've always known that she was going to go to one of the HBCUs either Tuskegee University or Alabama A&M Go Bulldogs. However, she's chosen Tuskegee University over Alabama A&M and I'll support her 100% in all that she does, because Tuskegee is where I'm originally from, born and raised and I have a middle sister who graduated from Tuskegee University. So this will be a tradition in the family, a family tradition continuing on because I have a nephew.
Speaker 5:He's at Alabama A&M, so I guess it was just naturally right for her to go to Tuskegee to keep the family tradition going so this should be a real interesting football't.
Speaker 3:Uh, oh lord. So you just up and did the switch like that yeah, she did it.
Speaker 5:She did it. It's all good my nephew's here so okay.
Speaker 3:so it's gonna be a house divided during football season. Now, Mom, I got to ask what side are you going to sit on if they play each other?
Speaker 5:Well, of course, 8 am you Go Bulldogs. But we usually would have a shirt that say family divided. One side is Tuskegee, one is A&M, because back in the day, you know, a&m and Tuskegee it's been a big rivalry game. I know them because back in the day, you know, and in the tuskegee it's been a big rivalry game, so I know that's why. And so we had shirts and we had family to come up and we just had a great time. You just cheer for both of the schools is what we've always done oh, lord, that's.
Speaker 5:That's almost like gremlin and southern, that's it, yes but I have to cheer for my Bulldogs because I'm a first generation college student, so I was the first in my family to graduate and start the HBCU tradition and so it trickled on down to the kids, so I'm happy.
Speaker 3:I love it Now, cesar, you didn't tell me that when I met you, you didn't tell me none of this Till she talked till mom got on.
Speaker 5:It's very important.
Speaker 3:Girl. That's a serious situation. You didn't tell me none of this. You did tell me you was the only child, though you did tell me that part. You didn't tell me this. You didn't want me to know this history.
Speaker 5:Oh Lord, it's all good. We love Tuskegee. We love Tuskegee.
Speaker 3:Well, that should be nice. Now you're going to the opposite, but you're still in the family, so that's good.
Speaker 5:Yes, yes, we tailgate at both schools, we do the same thing at both schools, but Tuskegee is really crump, oh Lord. Ball and parlay yes, Ball and parlay and I'll be ball and parlay and with her.
Speaker 3:So I take it your mom is invited to homecoming? That's been like the question of the week your mom can go to homecoming. Yeah, Some young people on here this week be like no, my parents will not be going. I'm like what, I'll be like, mom, let's go.
Speaker 5:I mean she'll be tailgating, but I'll be under the shed. So oh you, fast, yes, and, and when she gets hungry she will come up on the hill what we eating today, okay I absolutely love it.
Speaker 3:I love it. I love it. So, being that Zemaria has been engulfed in the HBCU culture I'm just guessing because you said it's a family tradition Was it challenging for her to decide to go to an HBCU over at PWI?
Speaker 5:HBCU over at PWI? Well, no, because her dream has always been to go to an HBCU and she wanted to continue to have that family feel. And she will get that feeling at an HBCU versus a PWI. And her field of nursing is going to help somebody in our community, including her grandparents, where she'll be down there with them to assist them with any medical needs that they may have.
Speaker 3:So I'm excited for you. Yeah, so technically you you go have eyes on you. Either way, you go.
Speaker 5:Yes.
Speaker 3:Samara. You had to give her a side eye. Now, Come on, that's a good thing, that's a good, trust me, it's a good thing. I didn't understand it when I went to school, but now I look back I'm like, yeah it was perks that you know my parents.
Speaker 5:They're not getting any younger, so it'll be good to have a young mind down there to help with all their medicines, telling them why they should or should not take this medicine when they, you know, refuse to take it. So, oh, I think it'll be something good for for all of us well, that's, that's good, I like it.
Speaker 3:I like I'm excited now because, yeah, you know, meeting these young people and as talented as they are, I'm still like, look, you know, I want them to be covered when they go to school. I don't, but I also want them to embrace it. Now. She leaves this week, right, she leaves monday. Monday, oh yes. Now, coming from a parent standpoint, what advice would you give a parent that's going to be in your shoes next year?
Speaker 5:what advice would I give and spend spend as much time as you can with your child while they're here with you, because after a while they're not gonna want to be bothered with you. So that's been my main goal to spend as much time as I could with her these last couple of days. So we're getting closer and closer and closer. But I know eventually she has to venture off and and be herself, become herself, and I'm here to support her 100% in whatever she chooses to do. So support your child in whatever you do.
Speaker 3:That's the biggest thing to help them succeed, to make them want to go the extra step and accomplish the goal that they set for themselves and accomplish the goal that they set for themselves, truly truly have enjoyed the parent support this year Because you all have really set the tone and I'm like you tell a lot of our contestants, I won't say a lot. All of our contestants have come from good stock. They have very supportive families and things like that. Now, after this commercial, after this commercial, I want you to tell the audience, and our listening audience as well, why we should vote for Zemaria right after this.
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Speaker 3:So I did ask mom a question, but if you are watching, I will put it on the screen how you can support all of our lovely, brilliant finalists. I mean, this year I have been blown out of the water. So, mom, thank you for letting her participate. I know we send them emails, we call. This is probably been really hard, but in a sense, you know we're trying to teach them how to do certain things as well, so why should we vote for your scholar?
Speaker 5:I think you all should vote for my daughter, Zamyria Nicole Jones, because she is a strong, talented young lady who is dedicated to succeeding in life and accomplishing her goal of becoming a nurse to help others in need. So please vote for Zamyria, who will be attending Tuskegee University in the fall of 2025.
Speaker 3:Awesome, awesome, and I can't wait till she becomes a nurse, because I was so intrigued when she did her interview and she said her goals for the future and I was like, wow, she really so. Yes, I am amazed. And again, zamyria, I wish you much success as you get on campus. I'm, you know, kind of jealous. That was the one part of my life that I wish never like disappeared is when I was on campus. Yeah, yeah, no bills, had all the fun I wanted, you know, and took care of business. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So again, thank you so much for uh coming, thank you for allowing your daughter to participate in our contest this year and you won't get rid of me. Like I said, send us your address. We will definitely make sure as we come up with internships and things. She's in the loop because it takes a village to support our young people.
Speaker 5:Yes, and I appreciate you all giving her the opportunity so that she can open up more and be herself, so she can talk to other people besides her mother, grown up and learn how to interact and ask for the things that she needs. If she needs assistance that she she's able to, you know, ask for help without coming to me all the time oh well, she has done amazing.
Speaker 3:Um, that's why I said I are. You know we have a unique uh scholarship process, but it's all to teach them things that well you know you hbcu grad, the things that you're gonna learn, that freshman week where they have you stand up and introduce yourself. Yes, yes, she looked like oh god, yeah, you know she'll be able to do it now.
Speaker 5:She'll be able to do it because she's been in front of you on the camera and other people are listening to her worldwide, so this was a great opportunity for her to express herself on camera she's like, oh lord, and then I'll you know if I make it to the shed this year or you know, I'm gonna be watching that tuskegee and in alabama game this year.
Speaker 3:See how that go to, okay. Okay, see with your shirts, you know okay I wish they would bring that gang back.
Speaker 5:That's, that's a big game, but we're still waiting. We'll still wait, so I know. But this has been a great opportunity to interact with you and, you know, get some insights about you know, your program and I thank you, thank you all any, any time, anytime so again, don't forget, vote for our scholars.
Speaker 3:Voting closes on september 5th. If voting closes, then I have had a wonderful time meeting all 70 of our applicants, even down to re-interviewing our 20 finalists. So you know it's up to you guys that are watching, you know, tag you it. So I have been um, having a wonderful time. I am your wonderful host, founder, whichever hat I'm wearing today, and I will see you guys tomorrow with another set of families.
Speaker 6:Thank you all over the country broadcasting every week. You're sure to get your dose of spirit-filled encouragement from the great programs on the Daily Gospel Network. Catch the Daily Gospel Network on Roku, amazon Fire, apple TV, all mobile devices and the internet.
Speaker 2:Tune in to a better chance for youth television show with host Monique Robinson on the Daily Gospel Network, the television show dedicated to highlighting incredible students on their quest to change the world. Join us every week as we uplift the youth and help them on their journey to the bright future they deserve. Catch a better chance for Youth Television Show with host Monique Robinson on the Daily Gospel Network. Thanks for watching A Better Chance for Youth television show with your host Monique Robinson, the television show where we highlight incredible students in their quest to change the world. Join us each and every week as we uplift our youth and help them on their journey to the bright future they deserve. So until next time. God bless From your friends. On a better chance for youth television show with your host Monique Robinson.
