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INSIDE MOREHOUSE, MAY 2012
“Our legacy is solid. We are overcomers.”
resident Robert M. Franklin 75 looked out over the sea of bright young
faces - the faces of young men who in August 2008 were wide-eyed
freshmen, unsure of what was before them. Their parents sat around
them, many with tears in their eyes, about to watch the gates of Morehouse
College close between them and their sons.
“So, my first words to parents are, ‘Leave your sons, grandsons and
young men at Morehouse and be proud of what you have accomplished,”
Franklin said during New Student Orientation four years ago. “Although it
may be difficult and painful to separate, do it for his sake. You’re leaving
him in good hands. He will mature into a Morehouse Man, and the world will
be a better place.”
In the span of four years since that day, those approximately 500 young
men of the class of 2012 have marched in support of men such as Troy Davis
and Trayvon Martin. They went door-to-door to help ensure the election of
the nation’s first black president. They have taken their first steps in heeding
President Franklin’s words.
Some are going off to teach young people or become doctors or lawyers.
Others are going into the ministry, while a few are seeking professional sport
ing careers. All believe they embody Franklin’s charge to them to become
Renaissance Men with a social conscience.
“The members of the class of 2012 by virtue of their steadfastness, their
fortitude, their many triumphs and achievements have set the example. Our
legacy is solid. We are overcomers,” said Brandon Whitehead ’12 during the
2012 Senior Crown Forum. Instead of honoring themselves, the senior class
honored Franklin and First Lady Dr. Cheryl Franklin.
“We as ‘Franklin’s Men’ dedicate this program because we know we never
could have made it without you.”
Here is a small sample of the class of 2012.
Nicolas B. Aziz
Editor, The Maroon Tiger
HOMETOWN: New Orleans, La.
MAJOR: Business Administration
AFTER GRADUATION: Pursuing a master’s degree in
international business and management from the
University of Manchester in England
“The Five Wells to me are guidelines that each student of
Morehouse should strive to embody. I’m all about plan-
ning and been about planning since I’ve been young. It’s a skill that I’ve gotten to use
as editor and as a student. The Five Wells are like planning to me. You’re planning
for what you want to become. I think those are very good tools to go by, and I hope I
embody them now and going forward.
“My favorite of the Five Wells would definitely be well-traveled. Since I’ve been
at the College, I’ve gotten the opportunity to travel to 11 different countries. Someone
told me before I started traveling that traveling is a bug. I can say that bug has defi
nitely got me and I will be traveling as much as I can.”
Football player/John H. Hopps Research Scholar
I HOMETOWN: Augusta, Ga.
M AFTER GRADUATION: Attending Georgia Institute of
Technology to pursue a doctorate in biomedical
engineering focusing on tissue engineering and
“Morehouse has been a time of individual growth and
development. It’s like I’ve been able to learn my role as an African American male, not
only in this society, but also in the global community.
As a scholar athlete, Morehouse has allowed me to be both a scholar and an ath
lete and be good at both. If I went somewhere else, I’d probably have to focus on only
one. But here I’m allowed to excel at both academics and on the field.”
Olajuwon Ajanaku
Golfer
HOMETOWN: Atlanta, Ga.
MAJOR: Business Administration
AFTER GRADUATION: Pursuing a professional
golf career
For my golf career, Morehouse has taught how to work
hard and that any goal is reachable and obtainable if you
work hard enough.
The professors at Morehouse have helped me by telling
me every day that if I kept working harder on achieving any of the goals that 1 desire,
telling me on every assignment that it’s doable and to not give up and to keep studying
hard, that I would become anything I wanted.
I know Morehouse can be a very challenging institution, but in the end it’s worth
it. It wasn’t easy and I know I had to earn everything that I’ve achieved. But getting
your degree from Morehouse and becoming a Morehouse Man, it’s all worth it.”
Miles Fuller
President, John H. Hopps Research Scholars
HOMETOWN: Atlanta, Ga.
MAJOR: Biology
AFTER GRADUATION: Pursuing a doctorate in
neuroscience
“Once you go out into your community and you say,
“okay, I’ve graduated from Morehouse College,” you’re
held to a different standard. We like to think that the
College holds a crown above our heads. It’s really true. We have expectations once
we graduate to not only to help our communities, but also to go out and establish
ourselves as leaders in whatever realm that we are in. It’s sort of a challenge and I’m a
little scared, but I’m looking forward to rising to that challenge after graduation.”
Jamaji Nwanaji-Enwerem
Class Valedictorian
HOMETOWN: Concord, N.C.
MAJOR: Biology
AFTER GRADUATION: Pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. at
Harvard Medical School
What I will miss the most about Morehouse is waking
up every single morning to walk outside of my residence
hall to see guys who look just like me. Guys who share
some of the same experiences as me, come from the same backgrounds as me and have
some of the same aspirations as me. Being able to share this brotherhood with each
and every single Morehouse student is something that you cannot find at any other
institution in the nation. And just that brotherhood and bond that Morehouse forges
are the biggest things that I’ll miss at this institution.”
The Top of the Class of 2012
■■■■’. A
VALEDICTORIAN
Jamaji Nwanaji-Enwerem
Major: Biology
GPA: 4.0
Hometown: Concord, N.C.
SALUTAT0RIAN
Lee Nathaniel Young
Major: Economics
GPA: 3.98
Hometown: Evansville, Ind.