I Love My HBCU! — ECSU [Q&A Series]

Your Name: Sonia Montalvo

Major: Mass Communication

HBCU: Elizabeth City State University

Q: What makes your HBCU unique?

The fact that it is a small university, yet it is able to compete with universities of bigger size. It’s size has not stopped the university from receiving national acclaim for almost 20 years nor has it diminished the accomplishments its students have mad

Q: Who’s your favorite notable alumni of your HBCU and why?

The Author Alex Haley, I appreciate the works of literature and the legacy that he’s left behind. It gives me a sense of pride to know that he attended ECSU

Q: How did your HBCU shape you as a person?

Coming into college, I was extremely shy and I lacked self-confidence. ECSU nurtured me and allowed me to grow as an individual with a voice. It has given me a sense of pride about myself that I will continue to carry. I always knew that I wanted to attend an HBCU, When I got a chance to visit ECSU, I knew instantly that it was the school for me. The student body itself along with faculty had established this close knit family unit, yet it was welcoming. From day one ECSU has always given me that extra push to let me know that I can succeed in all of my endeavors.

Q: How did your HBCU prepare you for the world?

By equipping me with an excellent education, and giving me the tools it takes to be competitive in the working world. So often I hear that HBCUs give you a false sense of self and cause you to lose reality of what the real world is like. I disagree completely. ECSU has allowed me to see successful people all working to better themselves, as well as given me a place where I can compete in a healthy manner with my fellow peers. It has showed me what I am to expect once I graduate and how I can go about handling any situation thrown my way

Q: What do you love about your HBCU the most?

I love the intensity of work ethic that each individual brings to the university. We have gone on as students and faculty to defy the odds as well as challenge all adversity. There’s something about being an ECSU Viking that makes an individual want to give their absolute best to whatever they choose to partake in. I wear my Viking pride as a badge of honor.