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
Behind Every Scholar Stands a Supportive Parent
"Every student deserves an opportunity, an opportunity for hope and a future," declares Dr. Monique Robinson as we dive into Round 3 of the Takisha A Davis Scholarship competition. Now in its fifth year, this scholarship program has transformed from a modest tribute to a late sister with a heart for young people into a significant platform celebrating exceptional student achievement.
The competition has narrowed dramatically from 70 initial applicants to the top 20 contenders, with only the top 10 vote-getters by September 5th remaining eligible for one of five scholarships. What makes this round particularly special is the participation of parents who offer deeper insights into their scholars' journeys and dreams.
We meet Morgan Miller's mother, who shares the family's multi-generational HBCU legacy that inspired Morgan's decision to attend Spelman College. Already a published author of two books at a young age, Morgan plans to major in English while continuing to develop her writing talents. Her mother eloquently describes how the close-knit HBCU community provides invaluable connections and experiences that last a lifetime.
In contrast, Dontrell Martin couldn't join the interview as he was already immersed in Southern University's prestigious band camp. His mother, Monica O'Brien, beams with pride as she describes how her independent son navigated the college application process largely on his own and has already "made cuts" in what's known as "The Best Band in the Land." She was particularly impressed by Southern's emphasis that "band is secondary, school comes first."
Both parents candidly discuss the financial challenges of college education and how the Takisha A Davis Scholarship would significantly impact their children's academic journeys. Their testimonies reveal not just accomplished students, but young people with character, determination, and purpose.
Ready to support these exceptional scholars? Visit our website or check our newsletter for voting information before the September 5th deadline. Your vote could help shape the future of a deserving student who represents the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers.
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 and welcome. Now welcome to day four or five, I've lost count but of the Takesha A Davis Scholarship Round 3, where we get to meet the parents. I am so excited because we have had some of the best parents advocate for their scholars and learn some things that we may not have known Because some of our scholars haven't told us every outstanding thing about them in the initial interviews. So let me give you a brief history. The Takesha A Davis Scholarship has been going on for the last five years and what this is is a way of that our family can pay homage and tribute to my late sister, because she had a heart for young people and it's a really good mission and it's also a way to help us keep her dream alive of empowering young people and educating scholars. Now, this started off kind of small, but it grew out to be so amazing. Now this year we had 70 wonderful applicants and out of those applicants, each week we have made cuts. Now it's up to you, the listening audience, as well as people who are watching, to keep our contestants in the running for the actual award Now, being that this is round three votes cut off on September 5th. So whatever place you are in on September 5th. As long as you're the top 10, you will definitely be eligible to be one of the five recipients. Now the scoring for the scholarship and judging does go off your essay, but it also is a combination of your essay and votes and everything is averaged together and then at the end we will determine who will be this year's Takesha A Davis scholarship recipients. But it's more like a stipend because you know we do things a little bit different. So today we have our first family coming and I am so excited because when I get to meet the parents it's just an amazing experience and now it's kind of like different for them, because now they are like days away from their scholars moving in on campus. So after this short, short, short commercial break, we will bring on our first family for tonight.
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Speaker 3:Welcome back. Welcome back, see, I told you when after that commercial break, and if you are a rising senior, it is best that you complete that application like ASAP, so you're ahead of the game Now. Welcome to the show, ladies. How are you Good? Thank you, I can't complain. A little hot in Texas, but other than that, hey, it is what it is and we've been in triple digits. But I've been inside in the air so I can't really say it. You know a little bit, so tell us who you are and where you are from.
Speaker 1:So my name is Morgan Miller. Some of you may recognize me, some of you may not, but I live in Atlanta, georgia, and I will be attending Spelman College in the upcoming fall 2025 semester. This is my mom. I am lucky to have her joining me tonight to answer some questions and, yeah, I think we're just really excited to get started.
Speaker 3:Awesome, Awesome. So welcome you both. And mom, I'd like to tell you thank you for allowing us to kind of like take up your summer, your daughter's summer, with this competition. Absolutely, absolutely. Now let me ask this process of your scholar going to an HBCU and we've asked every parent same question Was it challenging for her to arrive at this point, Like she's days with moving into campus?
Speaker 5:I'm excited for it In some capacities. Overall, Morgan has had her eyes set on attending an HBCU for a while now. Both her father and I attended HBCU. Her grandparents attended HBCU. A lot of our church family attended an HBCU, so she's known for a while. The seed was planted a long time ago. The challenging part, of course, was going through the application process, and part of course was going through the application process and awaiting results and just seeing where she would land ultimately. So I think that was the biggest challenge, because it was very competitive this year. So we took nothing for granted and nothing was for certain. So once she did receive her acceptance, we counted it all joy.
Speaker 3:Definitely amen to that, because she's going to Spelman and Spelman is a very rigorous process. Yes, I've had several young people. You know good and bad. You know they got the news they wanted and some, you know, honestly, just being transparent, they didn't. So kudos to you because that is not a cakewalk to get into. Thank you, definitely not, but you know you should really like that's a big deal. So I know you're extremely excited, you know, as a family. And then you said you're an HBCU alum. Which school did you graduate from?
Speaker 5:I attended Payne College in Augusta.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay, I have family members actually that live around the corner from the university, so I know the area pretty well.
Speaker 3:So, that's pretty cool. So I always ask because sometimes, like, if you have been watching this competition, I know the area pretty well. That's pretty cool. I always ask because sometimes, if you have been watching this competition, we have families that are literally divided. The child has decided to go to the rival school. So I just had to ask, Let me see, let me focus and be back on topic, with your daughter going to an HBCU. You said the seed was planted a long time ago Now, being that HBCUs have been going through some tremendous things as well as, as you noticed, the scholarship essay, that the topic they had was extraordinary this year and the kids, the young people, all did amazing, like hands down. They talked about DEI and they named how it applied to them. But, as you know, how do you feel, you know, with your child going to an HBCU, how will you feel that this will prepare her? Because I believe, if my memory serves me correctly, she's going to a very competitive, male dominated field when she, when she graduates.
Speaker 5:So Morgan's going to her, her right now, her um, she's planning to major in English, and so she, she loves to write and she wants to be a writer and I don't know. Just I think, for for her it's been more so, even though the seed was planted early the high school that she attended really encouraged her to even more to want to attend.
Speaker 5:I love it. So I think that it's just. I think it's a good fit for her. You know, we kind of we did keep our options open when she was applying, but we know that spellman, I don't know. I think it's just a good fit. We, we, the, the majors, the people she's going to meet even even now as we're going through and we're um had webinars and in in um going to the, the send dolls and just the community specifically, I really love the community and even for myself when I went to paint. It's a much smaller HBCU but the community and the environment, the exposure, there's nothing like it in my opinion. She's gone to Spellhouse Homecoming pretty much all her life, so just something about the HBCU community and the experience is unlike anything you could ever have. I told her it was one of the best times of my life and if I ever wanted to go back, I would definitely want to go back to college because there was just nothing like it, and I want her to be able to experience the same thing that's.
Speaker 3:I think I've told them that even when they had their orientation. I'm like, please don't rush this process of your life. This is nothing like it embrace everything. But also, um, throughout the competition I have had them uh, communicate to kind of find their tribe, because there's, I think there's about three people going to Spelman in this competition and I've had them connect with each other. Great, and a lot of parents are like you're teaching them all the skills that they would need once they get to college. I'm like, yes, that's the whole purpose, that's why we do it this way, because I've been out of school like, oh Jesus, about 30 years from, and I still talk to my college mates as if we're still on campus. And how do you, you know, you think that's going to work when for your, for your daughter, do you think she's going to have the same type of experience or do you think it's just she's already found her tribe?
Speaker 5:No, but I do think, similar to you, my college roommates, my freshmen and my sophomore year are my best friends still to this day for life. We are godmother to one's child, and so you know we didn't know each other. They came from St Croix, they were you know we met on campus on move-in day.
Speaker 5:So just for her, and even for her just being able to. You know, sometimes your tribe may not always be the people that you think. It may not be the people who are in your major. I went to school. My roommates were from St Croix, ended up becoming president of the International Club, but it was just because those were my roommates and so I was exposed to, you know, a club in a community that I probably wouldn't have been a part of if it wasn't for my roommate. So I think you know she's going gonna find her tribe, just like she did in high school. And so, just to have an open mind, I think I think she's gonna be fine. She knows a few people, but I say, don't just stick with the people that you know. This is for you to gain new experiences, meet new people and try new things, and so, um, I think I think she's gonna. I think she's gonna be fine. I don't think it's gonna be a challenge for her. I don't think so.
Speaker 3:I hope not no, I don't, um think it'll be a challenge for her either. She has been a go-getter throughout this whole entire competition, like she'll call, or takes me like um, doc, is this how this supposed to go? Like, I love it. You're learning to advocate for yourself. I'm surprised. That's the skill you need on the HBCU campus. If you can't advocate for yourself, you're going to miss out on a whole lot of things. That's right, and that's one thing that I truly, truly love about. Morgan and some of the contestants are like how do you remember all of this stuff about us? I'm like I had to talk to um. So of course I know, and you did mention that, uh, morgan wants to be a, a published author. Have you written any books, morgan, already?
Speaker 1:so I have technically um, so I have technically written two books. I coauthored one during COVID and the second book is one that I wrote on my own, a children's book called Pick a Job, any Job. So I definitely have written and published my work. But oh, and poems? She's right, I also write. I've written poems and presented them for various occasions. Some have been requests for me to write something for a specific event and others have been personal poems that I've shared for other people in certain settings. But I definitely I say that it's something that I want to do. Technically I've already done it, but I just I still want to do it.
Speaker 3:Okay, well, hey, if you need any help in that area. I think I've probably shared that with you before. I am a published author. Amazon bestselling author.
Speaker 1:But you know I'm honest, yes, I think. Am I remembering that correctly?
Speaker 3:Yeah. So just let me know, by all means. You know, my whole goal is to make sure you all get to where you all want to be successful-wise. My whole goal is to make sure you all get to where you all want to be successful wise. And like I've, you know, told every parent and tell you all all the time we are your biggest cheerleader. It's gonna take a village as long as you in that door, and now, by four, we got you, we got your back. Now, before I let you go even though you know, I know you got to get the packing and get stuff done, so I'm going to let you go, even though I could talk all day. Mom, why should people vote for your scholar Now? Your scholar made it big. She went from 70 to 66, all the way down to now. We're in the top 20. You got to be in the top 10 to be eligible, but why should people continue to support and vote for your scholar?
Speaker 5:Well, I ask that people continue to support and vote for Morgan. She is an amazing young lady. She has she's very mature and very dedicated to going to school and becoming a published author, to going to school and becoming a published author. Not only doing that, but she also has a talent to singing. She loves to sing and can sing very well, so I envision her doing great things when she gets on the campus of Spelman College. She will do many things and this scholarship will help her continue her matriculation.
Speaker 5:She um, college is not cheap um and so, um, she would do, um, it would be very nice for her to be able to receive uh the scholarship to help continue uh with her um tuition and college balance. So, if you see so fit to give Morgan your vote, we would be most appreciative to each of you who choose to vote for Morgan.
Speaker 3:Awesome, awesome. So if you are watching, or even if you're listening, the information is scrolling across the bottom of the screen. And then also if you have our newsletter, it's in there every week and then you can also read the interesting bios of our young people. Like I wish I could be like them when I was their age. I was not, but I got it together once I got to college. So thank you both for coming on today. Mom, again, thank you for allowing her to participate in the competition. I know we send these young people through so much, but hey, we gotta make them work. It's worth it.
Speaker 5:That's right. We appreciate you all.
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Speaker 3:Go to hbcutriviagamenet to order. Welcome back, welcome back. I am here with another parent Now. Today we don't necessarily have our scholar with us because he's at band camp and actually at my favorite band in the land. So y'all know, I mean we. That's probably why I can't judge, because he probably will win, because he is at southern university band camp and I know he is having a time of his life. But we do have his mom here, so we have the parent of Dontrell. I might miss his last name, I think Dontrell Martin. Let me make sure, dontrell Martin here today, um, and I, you know I'd be a proud mom, like if she slide me some tickets to anything they got going on, I would be extremely, extremely excited. I'm just playing, but welcome to the show, ma'am. Tell us you know, tell us how you are, tell us how this experience in him already at Bandcamp has been going, and thank you for allowing us to have your son busy all summer.
Speaker 7:Hello, my name is Monica O'Brien. I am the mother of Dontrell Martin. He is very excited about this experience. We took him about maybe like a week ago, a week and a half ago. It was a long trip seven and a half hours but we enjoyed taking him and I think he's enjoying band camp. Don't get to hear from him that much because he's in band camp from like eight to eight. So I did.
Speaker 7:I was able to speak to him this morning around 10 am, so he's telling me about the experience. He's telling me Mom, I made cuts and he says we're working really hard. I'm very excited that he chose that school because when we went to band camp orientation they stated that band is secondary, like school comes first. So make sure when you come to Southern to make sure that they know that they're going to receive their degree, they're going to get their education. So I was really excited about hearing that from the band directors and all of their teachers and all their staff they had. But I think D'Entrella is going to do well at Southern. He's enjoying it so far and he'll start classes next Monday.
Speaker 3:Awesome. Now, how was it getting to this point? Because that is not a hard task, especially when you audition for Southern University marching band. If you guys are Bayheads like you, you know I follow all hbcu bands. Uh, southern has a very rigorous program in a very big schedule. For you to say he made cuts already as a freshman. That's impressive. Now, like, how was it to get to this point, though? Like what made him want to audition for Southern?
Speaker 7:Well, I think that Trell he applied to several colleges and I think Southern was one of the is known for the best band in the land. But when I remember him auditioning I would hear him in the room playing his instrument constantly. And then one day I walked in on one of the interviews he was like my mom interviewer. He was like I'm um auditioning. I'm like, oh okay, but um, I know you have to audition to get in the band. Once he auditioned um, they told him that he was accepted into southern southern university.
Speaker 7:We went to parent orientation back in june. We took him up the road me and his uncle. We took him up the road so he could get that experience. But now, being in a band like you're in the band but you have to audition for different spots constantly he was saying that they have to learn all the music ahead of time time. So by him going early, that's giving him an opportunity to be able to um experience better and be able to learn the music better, since they allowed the freshmen to come in a little earlier. But he's done it all by himself. He applied to all his colleges. He just asked me when it was time to do fastball, come in and help me do that, but the trail is very independent. He did everything by himself, so I just had to check over everything and make sure everything was okay. But he was the one. He's very persistent, so he did it all by himself.
Speaker 3:Wow that is truly amazing and I know you are extremely proud, uh, to have a self-sufficient son, because you, you know, I've been talking to several parents this week and they all have been like the boys are so much different but you have a self-sufficient, goal-driven young man and, and I have truly enjoyed him throughout this competition, even in all the sessions that we have off air, uh, he always goes all in and one thing that he constantly, you know, talked about in all his interviews is you know, I'm going to do my best, I'm going to make it, I'm going to miss, and so I wish him nothing much but success, as he, you know, continue to make cuts and continue to get to go on different things.
Speaker 3:You know, because that, like you said, southern is known for their band. Actually, southern's band will be in Houston on the end of the month, so I plan to be there. You know, cross my fingers, I might try to sneak over to the side they at and get to speak to them, but that is a truly, truly honor, you know, to get that milestone. Now, as far as the HBCU, why, going through this college process, what you know, you said he always wanted to go, you know, to be a part of the band, but has he always had his heart set on the HBCU?
Speaker 7:Yes, he has. Maybe after ninth grade he's going to take it. He's a typical child. He had been from, maybe after ninth grade, just from K through nine. He was a typical child, a typical student. But I think in ninth grade that is half his second year he was like I'm gonna do, I'm gonna aim for the stars. And then me and him, we've always, and all my kids, I've always told them about the story for black colleges and universities.
Speaker 7:And then I was just speaking with him the other day I was like you know, sometimes we say my hbcu is better than those, but we know all the things when we're together. So, um paul, the majority of all his colleges he applied for hbcu. There were a few problems. He had a few ones, schools he told me about, but with his major I knew that HBCU school could give him everything that he needed.
Speaker 7:So if he wants to be, a lawyer he will become a lawyer, but he wants to be good in that politics. He wants to be, I think, a teacher, so maybe in French or whatever, I think he said the same one overseas. So they are going to be bringing that. So why not go to an HBCU?
Speaker 3:Because we know each other's life at this school. Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome. That is good to know Now, before I let you go, because we always have to ask, we have to ask the parents. We've asked every single parent this question why should our listening audience vote for Dontrelle?
Speaker 7:I think the audience really should vote for Dontrelle. He is a great child. He's not like anyone else, just like the other participants. They're not the same, but I truly believe that if they give him a chance and they vote for him, they will be disappointed, because I truly believe that when he finishes school. He's going to do just what he set out to do, and that's the awesome, awesome, awesome.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you so much, much, and I will continue to follow him and, you know, for our listening audience. Again, if you are interested In how to vote for our scholars, the information is found In our newsletter, on all our social platforms, and if you want to learn about our Contestants this year, that information is there as well. So I am your wonderful host, dr Monique Robinson, and thank you, mom, for allowing your son to participate and thank you for hopping on, because, look, our parents are busy too, and so she hopped on with us and I wish him nothing but the best of spirit-filled encouragement from the great programs on the Daily Gospel Network.
Speaker 2:Catch the Daily Gospel Network on Roku, amazon Fire, apple TV, all mobile devices and the internet 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.
