HBCU reps travel to high schools offering on-the-spot acceptances to the college

STATESVILLE, N.C. — A unique opportunity meant some students in Statesville were accepted into college on the spot Wednesday.

Lamoyne-Owen College is traveling to high schools across the country offering opportunities to attend the historically black college in Tennessee.

Lucca Brown hadn’t heard of Lamoyne-Owen College before Wednesday, but was thankful for the chance to meet with the school’s representatives. Brown got into college on the spot.

The opportunity was part of Spotlight Day. The small HBCU in Memphis chose Iredell County as one of its stops across the country as a way to attract and accept new students.

“I think kids that do that, leave with the impression I can go now, my challenge to the world has started,” said Dr. Tony Baldwin with LeMoyne-Owen College.

The school also just received a $40 million donation that will go toward helping students afford college.

“They are offering a lot of opportunities for funding like scholarships and that’s an important because I’m putting myself through college,” Brown said. “It definitely helps to have some money on the side coming from them.”

Willie Walker is another student who was accepted on the spot. Once he applies, he will be eligible for the scholarship money.

“It’s really important to me. Only two other people in my family went to college -- my brother and mother,” Walker said. “It’s giving me the opportunity to go to college.”

Wednesday’s event was held at West Iredell High School, but more are planned at other schools in the district through Friday.

“Lemoyne-Owen College provided an opportunity for our students to be exposed to more than just Statesville, more than Iredell county,” said Richard Armstrong Jr. with Iredell-Statesville Schools.

The event opened up Brown’s eyes and brought excitement for the future.

“I’m interested in criminal justice and physical and I genuinely want to learn as much as I can about those subjects, and college is the way to go.”

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