Marchell Robinson is a broadcast/communications major at Edward Waters College. She was crowned Miss EWC last month and will soon start an internship at the T-U.
HER THOUGHTS WHEN SHE WAS VOTED MISS EWC?
“I think I won because I’m about business. I think the students see that. They believe in me. I’m not always about glamour. Sometimes I’ll come to school in sweats and pick up trash on campus because I really want my school to look good. My platform was community involvement.”
WHAT IS HER GOAL AS MISS EWC?
“I want to bring a more positive light to Edward Waters College. A lot of people pass by and see just a black college on Kings Road. They don’t see the potential we have here. We need more positive media attention so people can see that we do have talented students. One thing I’m spearheading is clothing drives. Instead of just doing this on holidays, let’s do this all year. Including the cost of books with tuition is another thing I’m working on.”
HOMETOWN
Jacksonville.
HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN A STUDENT AT EWC?
“This is my third year. I transferred from the University of North Florida. I had a full scholarship at UNF, but it didn’t work out.”
WHY ATTEND EDWARD WATERS COLLEGE?
“EWC is better because it’s a smaller environment. You can get one-on-one instruction. At UNF there can be 200 students in one class. Here, there are 30 students in a class and you can talk to the teachers at any time.”
WHEN DOES SHE GRADUATE?
“Next semester, in May. For my master’s degree, I’m looking at Florida A&M University, the University of Florida and also the University of Miami. I would love to go to Columbia but it’s so far away and the competition is so stiff.”
WILL SHE STAY IN FLORIDA AFTER SCHOOL?
“I really want to be involved and uplift my community. I don’t want to just get an education in Jacksonville and leave. I want to come back and do some things for Jacksonville, especially the Northside community that is looked down on. Who better to do it than someone who has worked in that community and lived in that community?”
ARE THE SCHOOL’S DEMOGRAPHICS MAINLY BLACK?
“Yes, but we have a lot of students from different places. We have international students. We have white students. There is a diverse student body.”
ARE MANY OF THE STUDENTS HERE ON SCHOLARSHIPS?
“Yes. We have students on academic scholarships, athletic scholarships, band scholarships, choral scholarships, all sorts.”
ACCEPTANCE
“This school gives chances to students that wouldn’t normally have a chance — students that have good grades, but not the SAT or ACT scores, or students that scored well that didn’t have a high GPA, or even students that may have had disciplinary problems in the past. Most schools wouldn’t accept students like that, but we do. And we make something out of them.”
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Robinson is a member of the EWC chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and senior editor of Tiger Claw, the school’s newspaper.
WHAT IS HER FOCUS FOR THE FIRST ISSUE OF TIGER CLAW?
“It’s going to be a communication highway. Every school has a newspaper, but ours hasn’t been on campus for years. We have a radio station, but the students aren’t involved in it. The students need something to be proud of. This will let them get their voice out there.”
BIG CHEESE ON CAMPUS
In addition to being a student ambassador, Robinson serves on the executive board of the EWC student government association, participates in the Tiger Big Brothers & Sisters program and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha community service sorority.
WHAT IS THE TIGER BIG BROTHERS AND SISTERS?
“It’s a mentoring program for freshman girls to help them transition from high school to college. I like to be involved in the lives of young people because I know what a difference it made in my life.”
WHAT IS HER PET PEEVE?
“I don’t like negativity. Criticism is never really constructive and I hate to be in that environment. You have to be a team player. You have to stay positive and stay focused.”
THE PERSONALS
Robinson, a Northside resident, enjoys writing poetry, listening to jazz and shopping. Her favorite movie is “The Color Purple.” “I love going to the beach or the park, any quiet place by myself.”
EIGHT IS ENOUGH
Robinson is the youngest of eight children. One of her older sisters is also a student at Edward Waters College. The school is a family tradition: Robinson has cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents who attended.
HER HERO?
“Oprah Winfrey. She had a hard life and still made something out of it, a whole lot of something.”
DID SHE HAVE A HARD LIFE GROWING UP?
“Yes. Coming from a big family, you had to fend for yourself as far as money. My parents worked, but you still had to be independent and not ask for things. I started doing hair in the house when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I still do it, but I’m licensed now. My sister has a shop called Stop & Stare. She taught me a lot.”
— by Monica Tsai