Penn State Brandywine hosted its second annual “Shades of Success” Black Student Union Alumni Networking Event on Feb. 18.
MEDIA, Pa. — Penn State Brandywine hosted its second annual “Shades of Success” Black Student Union Alumni Networking Event on Feb. 18 as part of the campus’ Black History Month celebrations.
The event featured eight alumni of color as part of Penn State Brandywine’s Alumni of Color Network: Francis Bockarie, security analyst at the Institutes Knowledge Group; Darryl Daisy, principal sourcing manager at Constellation Energy; Chabreena Dixon-Corbin, outpatient therapist at Corbin Counseling LLC; Dax Frakes, project manager at Cigna; Michelle Haskins, agency owner at Choice Insurance Solutions LLC; Kenneth Murphy, a socially minded developer; Bruce Ryan, chief photojournalist at NBC10/Telemundo62; and Vernon K. Walker, director of content and external strategy at the Progress and Poverty Institute.
Each spoke about their experiences after graduating from Penn State and provided students with college and career advice.
Khaleelah Hamm, a fourth-year student and president of the Black Student Union, gave opening remarks at the event and spoke on how meaningful the "Shades of Success" event is to her.
“Last year’s event was truly a meaningful experience for me, and I know tonight will be even better. It was an incredible opportunity to connect with some amazing Black alumni and hear about their journeys and accomplishments,” Hamm said. “Listening to their stories and seeing how far they’ve come in their careers was truly inspiring, especially as a young student at Penn State Brandywine. Seeing Black people accomplish such great things reminds me of the strength, resilience and potential within our community.”
Stephanie Jones, director of student affairs and a Penn State alumna, noted in her opening remarks how "Shades of Success" is about coming together as a community and forming connections.
“To my fellow alumni of color: I’m so proud to be standing here with all of you who paved the way for so many. Our shared experiences, wisdom and insights hold immense power,” she said. “Tonight is about coming together to celebrate that power and most importantly to connect. The connections you make here can open doors, spark opportunities and provide guidance.”
Dixon-Corbin, a 2014 graduate of Penn State, spoke about how impactful the event was for her because she was able to provide support to students in attendance.
“This event was really impactful to me. It was great to be a part of it as a woman of color and support the students on the campus,” she said.
Walker, a 2012 Penn State graduate, talked about how much he enjoyed sharing his experiences and providing advice to students at the event.
“It was important to come back to campus and share my experiences with the students. As a person of color in the real world, it was great to talk about my experiences,” he said. “It was also great to have so much youthful energy in the room. The students asked such thoughtful questions tonight, and I was so glad to be part of the event.”
Bockarie, a 2024 Penn State graduate and former vice president of the Black Student Union, helped put together the first "Shades of Success" event. He said it was really inspiring to see it all come together for another year.
“It was really inspiring to start this event, mainly because I wanted to see more people who looked like me and could relate to me. I also wanted to see people who looked like me in my career path,” he said. “The event made things easier for me when it came to dealing with rejection or pursuing different career paths. It inspired me to go after much more.”
