HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The school year is just underway at Oakwood University and one junior is starting his year with an experience of a lifetime.
Matthew Dormus was named to the 2024 edition of White House HBCU Scholars, a series of webinars over two months that focus on leadership development, networking and
Learn more about the White House HBCU Scholars program here. The 2024 class includes students from 23 states and nine countries but North Alabama is well-represented. Sixteen of the 110 participants either are from the Yellowhammer State or attend an HBCU in Alabama. Cassidy McClellan is Alabama A&M's lone representative
The program culminates in a week-long in-person conference in Philadelphia in September where they'll participate in a "hack-a-thon" to come up with a solution to a healthcare problem in America.
"So my team and I will be working from now until the middle of September to create a business plan or an invention that can solve a specific problem within the lack of health resources for the nation," Dormus said. "And if we win that competition, we get a paid trip to go to the NASA's Johnson Space Center and present our pitch there."
"NASA's all about taking this intellectual property and turning it into a reality in the real world," he said.
To learn more about the Annual National HBCU Week Conference, click here.
Dormus has become really involved on-campus so far in his two years on campus. The Atlanta native co-anchors their morning student newscast, "Good Morning Oakwood," and recently was named "Mr. Oakwood," a campus ambassador role, where one of his main projects is improving students' access to mental health resources.
The latest project includes the opening of Oakwood's first dedicated student mental health resource space. Dormus calls it "The Story Room." It will bring mental health clinicians and resource materials in one space.
"I would like to take this project that I started on as Mr. Oakwood a step further," he said. "I'd love to see what opportunities, people and resources I can connect myself to in this White House program and work on elevating this story room to a new level that not only serves as a resource for the time that I'm here but years to come."
"The Story Room" will open on campus on Sunday, August 18th and will be situated between Oakwood health services and student ministry offices.