Congratulations!
2023-24 SUAF-AC Excel Scholarship Recipient
Meet the incredible recipient of the third annual SUAF-AC Excel Scholarship. This scholarship recognizes the importance of giving financial support for academic excellence to traditionally and historically disadvantaged students, with ties to the State of Arizona, who are matriculating at a Southern University System institution. It is a promising step along the successful pathway to completing a college education.
Our scholarship recipient, Kenyae Stocker, will receive a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in May 2024. Because of Kenyae's academic achievements at Southern University, she is deemed a "Top Jag" and a member of the Dolores Margaret Richard Spikes Honors College.
Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Kenyae moved to Louisiana to attend college, and it was her first time living anywhere outside of her hometown. Although moving to Baton Rouge was a big leap for Kenyae, she is glad to call Southern University her home.
2022-2023 Excel Scholars
Leilonni Robinson
1st Place
Leilonni Robinson was born and reared in Phoenix, Arizona. She received her high school diploma from South Mountain High School in 2016 and her bachelor's degree from Alcorn State University in 2020. She will receive her master's degree in Social Science with a History and Sociology specialization from Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) College in May 2023.
Leilonni has been working on her thesis, A Qualitative Analysis of African American Women's Hair from Africa to the United States, while she has been a student at Southern University. She intends to teach at the collegiate level after she receives her degree and will continue to pursue her love of research and education in a Ph.D. program.
Kenyae Stocker
2nd Place
Kenyae Stocker is a 20-year-old junior working to obtain a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering at Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She is also a member of the Dolores Margaret Richard Spikes Honors College.
Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Kenyae moved to Louisiana to attend college, and it was her first time living anywhere outside of her hometown.
Even though moving to Baton Rouge was a big leap for Kenyae, she is glad to call Southern University her home.
Ashton Jordan
3rd Place
Ashton Jordan is a 2021 graduate of Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona. She is the youngest of three children and, soon, she will be the fifth member of her family to attend and graduate from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
Currently, Ashton is a sophomore majoring in Mass Communications/Public Relations with aspirations to work in the fashion industry. She is a member of the Dolores Margaret Richard Spikes Honors College, as well as Sisters in Christ, an on-campus, female-only religious organization.
Ashton is grateful to be able to continue her collegiate journey, and she hopes to use the tools learned during her college experience to create significant change in her community - near and far.
Inaugural Excel Scholars (2021-2022)
Ashton Jordan
1st Place
Ashton Elise Jordan is a 2021 graduate of Chandler High School in Chandler Arizona. While attending Chandler High School, she was an officer in Chandler High School’s Black Student Union, a member of the National Honor Society and a member of the Girls' Varsity Track Team. As a freshman at Southern University at Baton Rouge, Ashton majored in Mass Communications/Public Relations. She is a member of the Dolores Margaret Richard Spikes Honors College and the Women's Track Team. Ashton comes from a family of five where each member attended different HBCUs; she thanks them for being role models and for guiding her along her educational journey.
Jan "JJ" Rollon
2nd Place
Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Jan "JJ" Rollon Jr., moved to Mesa, Arizona with his parents when he was four-years-old. His father has been in law enforcement for more than two decades, and his mother is a Certified Nurse Practitioner, Midwife, and proud HBCU graduate. In 2018, JJ graduated from Skyline High School in Mesa. After high school, he attended Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ, where he played baseball and received an Associates degree. Thereafter, JJ transferred to Southern University to study Criminal Justice and play on the championship-winning Southern University Baseball Team.
Kenyae Stocker
3rd Place