Alcorn State University News February 24, 2014 We are...family. We are Alcorn. It's said that college is where you find yourself, where you make significant connections and in the best instances life-long friends. So if you're looking to find something more or expand your family, Alcorn is a good place to call home. Just ask Lillie Winston, Nicole Williams and Jasmine Thompson. All from Mississippi, neither knew the other before Alcorn. Lillie came from Greenwood and Nicole from Natchez in fall 2010. Jasmine, from Canton, enrolled a year later. Jasmine describes their meeting as "divine intervention". "I didn't want to attend Alcorn but was heavily influenced by family - a cousin, sister, sister-in-law all attended this university. My mother and grandmother told me that here is where I would meet my true friends," shares Jasmine. "Even though Alcorn was nowhere on my list of places to go, I now know that we were all meant to be here." Interestingly enough, neither Lillie nor Nicole had plans to attend Alcorn. "I knew the quality of an Alcorn graduate but my heart was set to go elsewhere," says Nicole. "My dad convinced me that Alcorn was the better choice." Lillie had a partial scholarship to attend another Mississippi university but was afraid to step out on her own. "My best friend at the time was at Alcorn and convinced me to enroll," Lillie deems it the best decision she ever made. "Being here has helped me to discover who I am. I found my voice (singing) and it's all thanks to the people I've met here." When asked how their friendship began, they each offer slightly different perspectives. Lillie remembers hearing Nicole sing at a local church. "A week later I saw her again at another event, I walked up and introduced myself." The pair discovered that they had mutual friends and, after hanging out a few times, uncovered a deeper connection. "We both had a special passion for music and are involved in ministry." Lillie and Nicole were a part of Next Level Youth Ministry. The on-campus organization was planning a big revival. "We would be in practice and Jasmine would just walk in and take a seat," laughed Nicole. "We didn't know who she was or why she was there. She would just show up and watch us." "They were friends with my former roommate and would often visit our room," says Jasmine. "I was also interested in ministry; so, I would go to Next Level events just to see what it was all about." "Jasmine wasn't exactly a magnet for new friends, she was a little on the unusual side", jokingly comments Lillie. "It took a minute for us to warm up to her." Nicole and Jasmine had something else in common. They are both biology education majors but had never taken the time to become acquainted. "We had some of the same classes and one day I was absent and needed to review the notes from class so I asked Nicole," shares Jasmine. "After that, we began studying together and the rest is more than friendship - it is the family bond we share now." During this time Jasmine also worked as a resident hall assistant. "Lillie knocked on my door one day and, I can't explain it, but we had an instant connection." Eventually all three started hanging out. "They became my confidants," says Lillie. "We would spend hours in each other's room, talking through our problems, laughing, doing each other's hair." "Meeting these two has been a blessing. They are both greatly gifted and their talents inspire me," shares Jasmine. "I'm not certain what our future holds but I know these two girls will always be in my life," adds Nicole. Three people destined to meet at a place neither of them wanted to be. Their bond inescapable, their connection strong, and their future...well according to Nicole, "Alcorn is not just a university; here, we are family." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.