HBCUs prepare you to excel in any environment. The message from day one is that you matter in this world and belong in any hall or corridor of power that you choose. As a HBCU graduate, I’ve never had a problem adjusting to any environment. My professors had all been where I wanted to go and knew how to get me there and keep me there. Another benefit of HBCUs: Black professors in every program of study on campus-who’ve made their mark in their respective fields and have come back to show the next generation of Black students how to do the same. I did not truly understand diversity until I attended an HBCU. To be surrounded by the best and brightest young Black minds from all over the United States, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe, is something I will never ever forget. Attending an HBCU is so much more than obtaining a degree, it is to both literally and figuratively join, and continue, a legacy of Black excellence.