 HBCU Digest Radio, welcome back to our TMCF Advocacy Series, Conversations with the Best and Brightest from Historically Black Colleges and Universities nationwide, and officials behind the scenes working to make TMCF a valuable asset to the HBCU community. Tonight, we are continuing our conversation on the TMCF Hennessey-Hennessey Fellows Program, a unique graduate school pipeline that is connecting some of our best graduate students at HBCUs with highlighting and high achieving leaders from the corporate sectors. And tonight, our guest is Talia Hawley. She is a Howard University baccalaureate graduate and also a MBA student at Howard University and part of the inaugural cohort of the Hennessey Fellows. So Ms. Hawley, it's definitely a pleasure to have you on this evening. Well, thank you so much, Jared. I really appreciate it. It's a pleasure to be here tonight as well. Especially taking time out on the Eva Thanksgiving that people got travel and cooking and all kinds of stuff to do. So I appreciate that. So tell us a little bit about how you became aware of the Hennessey Fellows Program and the process you had to take on to apply for and prepare for entry into the program once you realize you got it. Yeah, so I actually heard about the TMCF Hennessey Fellowship through social media. So I assumed that they were doing a huge social media push because it was all over Instagram, Facebook, and I saw one of my Howard Alans that posted it. They posted the announcement and I honestly didn't believe it was real because when you see two huge organizations such as Thurga Marshall College Fund and Hennessey, it's almost like, wow, is this real? So after doing some research, I Googled, I went on the website, I saw on TMCF that Hennessey had made the pledge for the $10 million and that the fellowship was happening. And so I thought it looked like a great opportunity after looking at the different benefits within the fellowship. So I applied and after applying, that of course was a rigorous process. So throughout the application process, I had to submit many letters of recommendation, essays, and a whole plethora of information and why I wanted to be a part of the program. And after maybe about three rounds of interviewing, I finally got the announcement that I was selected as being one of the 10 fellows for the inaugural cohort. So very thankful and blessed for that opportunity. What was that experience like? Because it's so competitive. And we had another brother on before who was talking about the moment when it became real to him and he said, day one, was it like that for you? You know, I honestly, this might sound cheesy, but I think maybe now I'm just realizing that this is not real. You know, going through the boot camp and just, you know, we have check-ins on a monthly basis and you know, connecting with the other fellows, just all the communication and fellowship and different programs and connections and collaborations that we've been doing since I found out maybe about, I think it was like maybe June around June, but since then it's just been still so surreal that I'm actually part of the program and that this is a thing. It's such a unique program and you don't see too many opportunities like this, especially for students that are attending historically black college universities. So yeah, it's still surreal. I know it's real. I know it's happening. I mean, I've been living and breathing it, but I just still cannot believe. What is the experience like? Is it as intense as one on the outside who's never been through it, would make it out to be and what makes it rewarding but difficult at the same time? Yeah, you know, it is an intense program and you know, I feel like the application process kind of set the tone because, you know, like you mentioned, it's an intense, very competitive program. So of course I only expected it to be, you know, as a top caliber, intense program there is, especially for a graduate student, you know, you could imagine, I went to Howard undergrad as well as graduate school. So, you know, it's a huge workload and I'm in school full time. I volunteer in my community. It feels like full time. I'm in the Hennessy Fellowship full time. So it definitely, you know, it is challenging, but at the same time, it's one of the most rewarding things that I could be a part of. I would say outside of graduating, Howard undergrad, this is probably the next toughest, most rewarding things. And I'm still reaping the benefits of being a part of the program, you know, because we just, it's the first year, we just started, you know, with our boot camp kickoff in August. So, you know, ever since, you know, the start, it's just been growing and it's going fast and I'm very thankful and blessed for the opportunity. Let's go back a little bit. What made you choose Howard University and when, if you were growing up as the kind of student that had a lot of choices and where you would attend college, what is it about HU that stood out for you and did that come to pass when you arrived on campus and moved through your four years? Absolutely. So I chose to go to Howard University because I toured Howard. I actually only toured two HBCUs. I toured Howard and Hampton when I was in high school and I also had a cousin, Ed Howard, my cousin DJ who, you know, at the time he was in the School of Business. He was a, one of the student ambassadors there, team leader, he was very involved in, you know, just raved about Howard University School of Business. So I actually applied and signed up to attend Parents Weekend, which is a weekend where all the potential students and parents attend a nice program that the university sets up for the weekend. You get a tour and, you know, different meals and you get to speak to different leadership within the School of Business. And it was a really nice program. So, you know, after being on campus, attending Parents Weekend, I was just really feeling the vibes and I felt like it was a good space for me to be at for my undergrad career. And of course, you know, having family there, you know, made it a little better. So that, that's probably, you know, why I decided to go to Howard, you know, on top of the recognition that Howard gets all the time. And it's, you know, definitely a staple within the historically Black colleges and universities. So that's why I decided to go. Let's talk about that a little bit because it's only in recent years. I never, in all the years I've been covering HBCUs, it's not to like the last one or two where I've seen people start saying, all right, enough Howard, you know, Howard gets everything, you know, Howard gets all the stuff. They get all the grants, they get all the partnerships. What is it like on the inside to see that kind of dialogue? Like, you know, you want all HBCUs or HBCUs as a sector to come up and be great. Howard in many ways is already great. So what is it like to be at a school where it's like, yeah, we're still fighting for things. We're still, you know, we still want to be better and bigger. But the outside says you get everything. And in some respects, it's not fair. Yeah, you know, it's hard. People always ask about my Howard experience. What is it like? And, you know, honestly, I feel like in the four years I was at Howard University undergrad, I took it for granted because, you know, you know about, you know, Howard being very prestigious, you know, we see it in the stats. We see, you know, different alumni, you know, really making an impact in our communities who have graduated from, you know, Howard and, you know, other HBCUs as well. But my experience at Howard, it was truly like no other experience. I really, like I said, I really struggled to like explain it to people that may not have gone to Howard or may not have attended a HBCU. I'm sure you kind of understand because you graduated from an HBCU not too far away. So... I went to Morgan, you know, so we always, I was out of Maryland, we're typically forgotten. So I have much Howard envy. Well, you know, you guys always had, I feel like sometimes our homecoming's overlapped. Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah, so, you know, right, right. So we're family, you guys aren't too far away. And I have friends that went to Morgan as well. But yeah, no, I'm so, I'm so fortunate that I went to Howard, not only Howard, but at HBCU, I would not have changed that for anything in life. I really feel like it prepared me, you know, you mentioned, you know, we hear things about people that come from Howard and you know, what they do and everything, but I think it's generational. I feel like, you know, people have been coming out of HBCUs and doing amazing things. And I'm like, I'm witnessing it because you hear about the people doing things, you know, but I actually have friends now that graduated Howard and I know these people that are starting businesses or starting nonprofits and just doing some amazing things and they went to Howard. And whenever I wanna do anything or need support for anything that I'm doing, I can call on so many different people, you know, who are experts in different fields that went to Howard and would lend a hand. No questions asked because we share that experience. So that's been one of the most rewarding things I would say being an alumni and being back at Howard for my graduate program, but definitely that Howard family connection is surreal. Yeah, detail that a little bit because I'm sure that there are faculty on campus that, you know, really made an impact in your life. And if you could compare that to the corporate network that you now have, what are some of the similarities between the two? Yeah, so, you know, there are a few people at Howard that have impacted my life. I would say number one, one of my mentors, Mr. Keith Miles. He's probably a lot of people's mentors at Howard because he's such an impactful person. He's amazing. He actually wrote my letter of recommendation for the Hennessy Fellowship and I'm forever grateful for him. He writes all my letters of recommendation. He knows me so well that he could speak about me and all of my accomplishments better than I can myself. So when you have people like that in your life, you have to cherish them, keep them close. Also the director and the management department, Dr. Kahn, she recruited me onto the management side. I actually went to Howard as an accounting major and after probably the first semester or two of taking accounting 101 and 102, I was like, I don't know if accounting is for me. So, yeah, so I actually switched. And she was like, you know, I think you'd be great in management. You should look at the hospitality. And she's like, she saw so much in me back then that I didn't see in myself and I'm so glad to have people like that to bring those sort of things out. Because again, I don't think that I would be where I am today without people like that surrounding me. And then you mentioned, you had another question about... Yeah, so that network and those experiences at Howard, how do they compare or how are they similar to the network that you're building and you did experience through the TMCF Hennessy Fellows Program? Yeah, so the different connections and the mentors and the relationships that I've built in undergrad, they're very similar to the relationships that I've been building in the professional world as well as with Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Hennessy. It's amazing to be able to even have access to some of the CEOs and senior leadership that we have access to who literally tell us whatever you need, email me, call me, we have cell phone numbers, you know? For them to lend themselves at that level, you don't find that too often. So I've been very thankful and blessed for that, for that support. I mean, we get book recommendations and just different things that we should, look into or read more about. And I'm very thankful for all of the senior leaderships within the organizations and the partners that TMCF and Hennessy has because they're a part of this as well. It's definitely been very, very life-changing but also rewarding because sometimes it's hard, even for companies that I've worked with to have access to different levels of people within an organization. So to have them saying, hey, call me, email me, whatever you need, that's amazing. Is there a moment that stands out from the program that you would say this best represents what this program is all about? You know, I would say community. If there is something that stands out within the program, definitely community because since the beginning, you know, we've been introduced to so many people during the bootcamp. We met, you know, everyone within LVMH, TMCF, everyone's just been kind of supporting us and kind of, you know, pouring into us. And I'm very appreciative of that. And I feel like I'm a part of like a new community of family and to have the support and to have people just ready to help, there's been times when I've needed help and no one in my immediate family could help me, you know? So to have this different level of support, community, family, you know, the fellows, we're actually really close as well. Like we look to each other for like inspiration and feedback and motivation. So I would definitely say like it's definitely been, the highlight has been having this community of support who are here to support our professional advancement has been amazing. Now, we know that the application period for this ends December 31. And as you said, it's a very thorough and intense application process. If there's one piece of advice that you would give to a student who's out there listening about the entire process from application to preparation for being a part of it, what is the number one thing that you could tell them that would be the biggest help to them? You know, I would say I always think about like, when I'm talking to someone or recommending something to someone about the Hennessey program, I always think about what it means to me, like what it means for me to be a Hennessey fellow. And for me, it's simply just embodying the core competencies that the program is all about. So like leadership, accountability, influence, business acumen, communication, executive presence, like embodying all of those leading by example and inspiring others. So when you become a Hennessey fellow, it's a lot of hard work to get into the program and might seem really hard and rigorous, don't give up, always say don't give up, keep pushing because even when you become a Hennessey fellow, the work, it doesn't stop. You have to lead by example and you have to inspire others and create a pathway for the other people coming behind you because everybody's looking at the inaugural cohort, all of the fellows now and all the great things that we've been doing since we were kids, things that our parents instilled in us that still live and breathe through us today. So I would definitely recommend anybody applying to, don't give up, be motivated, ask questions and just remember that even once you become a Hennessey fellow, it turns up. There's even more work to get through, there's even more people to impact and it just keeps giving.