{"id":55523,"date":"2020-05-22T09:02:07","date_gmt":"2020-05-22T14:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=55523"},"modified":"2020-05-22T09:02:08","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T14:02:08","slug":"graduate-acquires-more-than-a-degree-from-fhsu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=55523","title":{"rendered":"Graduate acquires more than a degree from FHSU"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Diane Gasper-O\u2019Brien
University Relations and Marketing<\/em>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HAYS, Kan. \u2013 Experiences during her college career at Fort Hays State University set a solid foundation for life, says Deja Brewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A self-proclaimed shy person when she came to FHSU from Overland Park four years ago, Brewer became the first member of her family to graduate from college this May. She earned a bachelor of general studies degree while stepping out of her comfort zone on campus and found the courage to pursue her dream of attending culinary school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her new-found confidence came from the strength she gained while fighting through a rough patch when her younger sister lost her life-long battle with cystic fibrosis two years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was a tough time for me, and my professors were so understanding,\u201d Brewer said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t have asked for anyone more helpful to me. People at Fort Hays State really do care for you as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brewer said she was able to do a lot of soul searching after her sister\u2019s death, and \u201cI realized I wasn\u2019t doing what I really wanted to do but what others thought I should do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buoyed by that support, Brewer agreed her senior year to take on the role of president of the Black Student Union, an organization that had only 10 active members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFort Hays State helped me learn how to make my own decisions,\u201d Brewer said. \u201cEven if I failed at something, I developed the confidence to try again. I\u2019ll take that with me the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BSU flourished under her leadership, and membership tripled to 31 members. Despite being forced to cancel some of its spring activities because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Student Union was chosen by the Center for Student Involvement and the Office of Student Affairs as the most improved student organization on campus for 2019-20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brewer said as a leader, she called on some life skills she learned in her general studies major.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith that route, we were able to pick a lot of electives. I learned about so many new things,\u201d she said, naming subjects such as photography, ceramics and interior design as some of her favorites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She paused and laughed, adding \u201cI even learned how to sew.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of those life skills Brewer made good use of as the BSU president was building bridges by collaborating with other campus organizations on various projects and events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an effort to build a more vivid, stronger presence on campus, Brewer sought out Nuchelle Chance \u2013 a strong, gung-ho faculty member \u2013 and asked her to serve as the organization\u2019s advisor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told her that I came from an undergraduate experience where our BSU was really robust,\u201d said Chance, an instructor in the Department of Psychology. \u201cI told her I was expecting a lot of work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brewer didn\u2019t disappoint. She helped organize events ranging from tailgating at a Tiger football game, community service projects involving children and social mixers, to a spring semi-formal dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis experience has really helped her to blossom,\u201d said Chance, who was chosen as FHSU\u2019s student organization advisor of the year. \u201cThis is all about pushing my students to greatness. She is extremely resilient, and I\u2019m very, very proud of Deja.\u201d
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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