Edward Waters University News April 1, 2022 Miss EWU, Brianna Pendergrass, accepted to Cornell University to pursue Ph.D in Biomedical Science Edward Waters University (EWU) would like to congratulate Miss EWU, Brianna Pendergrass, who has recently been accepted into Cornell University for an internship program this summer to pursue her Ph.D in Biomedical Science. By pursuing this program at one of the most competitive universities in the United States, Miss Pendergrass aspires to be a biochemical chemist. As a biochemical chemist, Miss Pendergrass intends to work in the labs to focus on cell culturation and to study the spread of terminal illnesses such as cancer. Through her efforts, she hopes to be able to contribute to the betterment of research on illnesses as well as studying genes in order to understand how to eradicate diseases (if they are present in genetics as opposed to external factors). The program is an incredibly competitive one, with Cornell University only selecting 10 students out of all candidates who apply. This internship set up by Cornell University lasts for a period of 10 weeks during the summer. "I'd really like to give my kudos to Professor Bowers," Miss Pendergrass comments, "because he's always encouraging everyone in the Honors College to apply for internships and programs, and he also wrote my recommendation letter when I applied to Cornell. As a sophomore at EWU, Miss Pendergrass has accomplished a myriad of things in an effort to achieve her dreams, one of which was a volunteering experience at EWU's own Mayo Clinic. Miss Pendergrass was able to have her first experience of studying cells while she was volunteering at the Mayo Clinic. Being the first in her family to pursue tertiary education, Miss Pendergrass likes to ensure that she is doing multiple things at once to keep herself occupied. "Being busy keeps me happy, because that way I know I'm doing things to be better, instead of just sitting in my dorm room and just letting my college years pass me by," Miss Pendergrass says. She was also named Miss Freshman at Homecoming, citing that it was not to be confused with the actual Miss Freshman that was a representative for the freshman class for the entire academic year. Additionally, she was in the marching band when she was a freshman, she is currently part of the Biology club at EWU, and volunteered at the Writing Center during her time at EWU so far. As a mentee of First Lady Faison, Miss EWU expresses her gratitude for the guidance that she has been given by the First Lady, saying that "...she's definitely my rock. If I ever need anything, she's always ready to help me, and I have such a huge admiration for her." Lady Tyciee Faison first met Miss Pendergrass while she was still in high school, during a visit that she and President Faison had planned after they heard Miss Pendergrass was applying to EWU. Much like her other astounding classmates, Miss Pendergrass says that she encourages her fellow EWU enrollees to participate in all that they can while they are still students. Although she keeps herself busier than most, she believes that anything that any of her fellow peers choose to do will certainly make their college and university years more memorable. "When I was in high school, I dabbled in some activities, but it definitely wasn't as much as I've dabbled in here at EWU. I definitely wasn't as outgoing in high school as I am now, and I feel like I'm like a new person since I came here," Miss Pendergrass says. EWU would like to extend its ardent congratulations to Brianna Pendergrass, Miss EWU, for such a phenomenal achievement, and we wish her the best of luck in her current and future endeavors! Sandra M. Phoenix, Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance 678-210-5801 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Seek justice, honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/