FAMU Students Build Career Connections at TMCF Leadership Institute
Tallahassee, Fl. - For 30 Florida A&M University students, attending the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., offered a chance to meet corporate professionals, engage with fellow HBCU scholars and explore career paths beyond the classroom.
The four-day professional development conference, held Sept. 9-13, brought together hundreds of HBCU students from across the country. The institute featured career fairs, professional panels, workshops, networking sessions and interviews with corporate partners, giving students several ways to prepare for life after graduation.
Florida A&M University students dressed in professional attire pose for a group photo
at a 2026 Thurgood Marshall College Fund event. The delegation represented FAMU while
participating in an experience centered on leadership, professional growth and networking.
(Photo courtesy of Faith Paul.)
Faith Paul, a fourth-year business administration scholar and FAMU adviser who attended the institute, said the conference was designed to introduce students to companies while helping them prepare for their careers.
“It helps students get connected to companies,” Paul said. “We do a career fair, and they also go through different panels of professionals and workshops.”
A Florida A&M University representative poses beside the Thurgood Marshall College
Fund display during a 2026 TMCF event, highlighting the organization's commitment
to supporting students attending historically Black colleges and universities. (Photo
courtesy of Faith Paul.)
The experience also opened doors to internships and full-time employment. Paul said some students received interviews and return offers from companies they had previously engaged with through TMCF. Attendees also competed for scholarships and other prizes, including FAMU student Nila Stevenson, who Paul said received a TMCF scholarship.
For Katiana Pierre, a fourth-year business administration scholar from Miami, attending
the institute was something she could not miss. Pierre said she was accepted as one
of 500 students from approximately 3,000 applicants, making the trip an important
step in her professional development.
Her journey to Washington did not go as planned. After missing her initial flight, Pierre and another student drove approximately two and a half hours to Jacksonville to catch another flight.
“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Pierre said. “This was an opportunity I wasn’t going to miss.”
Katiana Pierre, a fourth-year business administration scholar from Miami, proudly
displays her Rattler pride while attending the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership
Institute. Pierre was among 500 students selected from approximately 3,000 applicants
to participate in the professional development experience. (Photo Courtesy: Katiana
Pierre)
Once she arrived, Pierre said she met representatives from several companies, including Shell. An unexpected encounter at the airport eventually introduced her to Shell employees and helped her establish new corporate relationships.
The conference also broadened Pierre’s career interests. She initially planned to pursue project management in the technology field but said the experience introduced her to the importance of human resources and creating spaces where students can grow professionally. Meeting professionals and learning more about their work allowed her to consider how her own career could eventually help create similar experiences for others.
“I want to be a part of the people who are making the spaces for students like us,” Pierre said.
For fourth-year business finance scholar Seth Mompoint, the conference offered a chance to reconnect with the larger TMCF community while considering career paths outside his original plans. Mompoint, who is also minoring in economics, said he networked with students from other HBCUs and met professionals who could help him transition from college into the corporate workforce.
Although he has primarily been interested in corporate real estate and finance, Mompoint said the experience exposed him to areas including financial technology, risk and government finance. Learning about those fields helped him see how his background in finance could translate into a wider range of industries and positions.
Participants celebrate their $5,000 award from CBRE during a Thurgood Marshall College
Fund pitch competition. The winning team, Lotus Brokerage, was recognized for its
presentation and innovative business proposal. (photo Courtesy: Seth Mompoint)
“Being able to kind of explore different avenues and understand that I’m not really
limited in terms of what I can transition into, that’s been very impactful,” Mompoint
said.
The experience also reinforced the importance of helping others. As a fourth-year student, Mompoint said he was able to share what he has learned with younger students entering professional spaces for the first time.
“It’s important that I’m kind of pouring into other people,” Mompoint said.
FAMU adviser Antonio Witherspoon said the institute gave attendees access to high-level corporate experiences while allowing them to build relationships beyond the university.
Two Florida A&M University students proudly represent the Rattlers while attending
a 2026 Thurgood Marshall College Fund event, which provides opportunities for professional
development, networking and career exploration. (Photo courtesy of Faith Paul.)
“The TMCF Leadership Institute is comprised of an elite very selective group of HBCU scholars from around the nation,” Witherspoon said. “FAMU students' presence at Leadership Institute expands their network both in career and meaningful relationships.”
Throughout the conference, attendees participated in recruitment fairs and leadership workshops focused on interview skills, career development and preparing for the workplace. Witherspoon said students also interviewed for internships and full-time positions, allowing them to put what they learned during the institute into practice.
Beyond career preparation, Paul said one of the most meaningful aspects of the experience was forming relationships with HBCU scholars from across the country. Those interactions gave attendees a chance to expand their networks beyond FAMU and establish relationships that could continue after the conference.
“The network isn’t just about collecting contacts,” Paul said. “It’s actually building relationships or following up after the conference.”
The institute concluded with a gala that brought students, corporate professionals and TMCF representatives together to celebrate the four-day experience. The event served as a final gathering for attendees who had spent the week learning, interviewing and forming new relationships.
Florida A&M University students proudly throw up their Rattler strikes while attending
a Thurgood Marshall College Fund event. The gathering provided opportunities for students
to connect with peers, strengthen leadership skills and explore professional development
opportunities. (Photo courtesy of Faith Paul.)
For the FAMU delegation, the Leadership Institute extended beyond career preparation.
Students returned to campus with expanded networks, greater exposure to potential
career paths and relationships with a national community of HBCU scholars.
Witherspoon said he hopes they also returned with greater confidence in their ability to succeed in professional spaces.
“I hope they gained an awareness that they belong in every room and the confidence to become a leader in those spaces,” Witherspoon said.
Media Contact:
Ashley Flete
Senior Communications Specialist
ashley1.flete@famu.edu
