Contact: Crystal Drake, Office of Strategic Communications
You can hear new student orientation leaders belting out cheers all across campus:
“I love my T!”
“I love my “U!”
“I love my T. . .You Know!”
Tuskegee University is welcoming students and their families with open arms as thousands of students – including the largest incoming freshman class in three decades – gets moved in this week.
Dr. Mark A. Brown, president and CEO, First Lady Gwendolyn Brown, and members of the Board of Trustees all helped students get settled in their residence halls, and welcomed guests at an ice cream reception, a welcomed respite from the summer heat.
Jaxon Upshaw from Phenix City, Alabama and Xavier Brown from Washington, D.C. walked into Banneker Hall together as newly minted roommates. They decided to start their Tuskegee journey together after finding each other on Instagram.
Asked what he was bringing in, Upshaw joked “I wish I knew,” smiling at a large stash of suitcases and garment bags.
Upshaw, a Health Sciences major, said it was the legacy of people who came before him that drew him to Tuskegee.
“I want to join them. I am here to strive for excellence and it feels like I’ve been welcomed home,” he said.
For Brown, a Mechanical Engineering major, the change of pace from the busy D.C. landscape was a plus as he made his decision.
“I needed something different and when I toured this campus, it wasn’t about a list of ‘things you will do’ but ‘this is how you will succeed’ and I knew this was my choice,” he said.
In Bethune Hall, Maximillian Aristotle Townsend’s parents were busy unloading boxes and hanging items in the closet in his room as they shared their thoughts on why Tuskegee was the right choice for their son. They traveled from Compton, California with their 17-year-old, who will be an Electrical Engineering major.
“There is a sense of family here,” said Townsend’s mother. She shared that her son had a specific interest in an HBCU college education and, after touring several campuses, Tuskegee was his choice. She fully supported his decision particularly because she was so impressed by the student leader who had led their tour on campus earlier this year.
For his dad, the close-knit environment is a good thing for his son, especially because family isn’t far away.
“We have roots here in Alabama and I plan to take him to pay respects to his great-grandfather in Union Springs,” he said of a cemetery located about 20 miles away.
Yashia Carr, a freshman from River Rouge, Michigan and an Animal Poultry Science major, took a moment to bask in the sunshine and festivities, watching some of her fellow freshman classmates move into their dorms. She already moved in a week ago as part of the Marching Crimson Pipers intensive band camp.
Carr, who plays the mellophone, said her move-in to Olivia Davidson was smooth but, per MCP tradition, stayed mum on exactly which music they are rehearsing. “You’ll hear it at our first game!” she said, adding that the support and guidance from upperclassmen MCP members has been very helpful as she finds her way as a new member.
Kayla Benton’s mother met Dr. and First Lady Gwendolyn Brown during the President’s Ice Cream Social at Logan Hall. Upon mentioning to him that her daughter was entering Tuskegee as a member of the Air Force ROTC, Dr. Brown, who retired as a U.S. Air Force Major General, quickly noted “and she will be in the 015 detachment, just like I was!”
“I thought I would leave Tuskegee and stay in the Air Force for four years but 32 years later, I think it was one of the best decisions of my life,” he said. “I am excited for what is ahead for your daughter.”
Dr. Brown made sure everyone at the event heard directly from him about what exactly lies in front of their children at Mother Tuskegee when he gave welcome remarks.
“We are very serious about your students being here – and about them being prepared to do extraordinary things when they leave,” he said. “A Tuskegee education will put them in a position to compete and win in a global economy and this week is where it all begins.”
Dr. Brown shared that both he and the First Lady understand the deeply personal hopes, fears and questions parents might have related to students they are entrusting to Tuskegee. He vowed that Tuskegee faculty and staff will always treat them with the care every parent wants for their children – including the “tough love” of expecting and requiring only the best from every student.
“You are the most important people in this equation,” he said to students present. “But this isn’t high school anymore. Out of every 10 students who applied, we accepted 3. You are part of a select group. You have made a serious choice to be here. You have a space, you have a seat, you belong here – and now it is time to grind.”
Parents and family members nodded and smiled in agreement.
“We will do everything within in our power to help you succeed,” said Dr. Brown. “If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask for it – we are here to support you. It doesn’t matter where you’re starting from, with grit, resilience and hard work, you will reach the commencement stage at our Daniel “Chappie” James arena and be on your way to a future you are prepared to own, pursuing a career of your choice.”
© 2026 Tuskegee University
