FAMU Students Take Center Stage at “The College Tour” Red-Carpet Premiere
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida A&M University students took center stage Friday evening as the university rolled out the red carpet at Lee Hall Auditorium to celebrate the premiere of its episode of “The College Tour,” showcasing life on the Hill through the voices of Rattlers themselves.
Students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members gathered Sept. 11 for the screening of FAMU’s episode of the award-winning series available on Amazon Prime Video. The evening included a red-carpet experience, episode screening and panel discussion with members of the featured student cast.
“The College Tour” introduces prospective students and families to colleges and universities through the experiences of current students, offering viewers an inside look at academics, campus culture and student life.
Attendees watch FAMU’s episode of “The College Tour” during the Sept. 11 red-carpet
screening at Lee Hall Auditorium. The event brought together students, faculty, staff,
administrators and community members to celebrate the University’s featured student
cast. (Photo courtesy: Jeff Adams, FAMU University Photographer)
FAMU’s episode features 10 current students and recent graduates whose personal stories highlight the breadth of experiences available at the university, including career readiness, study abroad, research, the transfer experience, Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), on-campus living, campus activities and the first-generation college experience.
Among those sharing their story was Jamel Nedderman, a third-year broadcast journalism student in the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication who is from the Bronx, New York.
For Nedderman, participating in the episode was an opportunity to speak directly to students who, like him, may be considering traveling far from home to pursue their education.
Jamel Nedderman, a third-year broadcast journalism student in the School of Journalism
and Graphic Communication from the Bronx, New York, poses with Herb Johnson, director
of University Housing, during FAMU’s “The College Tour” premiere at Lee Hall Auditorium.
(Photo courtesy: Ernest Nelfrard)
“It was very exciting, to be honest, getting to share my experience being an out-of-state student, especially being from New York and coming so far to get my degree and get my education,” Nedderman said. “The experience was very empowering to me and really about trying to uplift other students who were like me, being out of state as well.”
Nedderman’s segment, “Home Away From Home,” is one of several that allows viewers to experience FAMU through students representing different academic programs, backgrounds and aspects of campus life.
For President Marva B. Johnson, J.D., amplifying those student stories on a broader platform represents an opportunity to strengthen awareness of the FAMU experience and the university’s national reputation.
“One of the things that we know drives excellence, as much as you put in the work and you see the impact in real tangible things, your brand reputation matters,” Johnson said.
FAMU President Marva B. Johnson, J.D., shares a lighthearted moment with members of
“The College Tour” cast during the panel discussion following the Sept. 11 screening
at Lee Hall Auditorium. (Photo courtesy: Jeff Adams, FAMU University Photographer.)
Johnson connected a stronger national reputation with FAMU’s ability to attract additional research and philanthropic investment, resources that can expand opportunities for students and strengthen the university’s educational mission.
“Making sure that everyone knows what an amazing experience Florida Agricultural and
Mechanical University is will help attract research dollars. It will help attract
philanthropic investment dollars, and it will help make FAMU a choice for Ph.D. scholars,”
Johnson said. “We’re extremely excited about this opportunity to tell our story.”
The range of experiences represented by the cast illustrates the story FAMU is introducing to broader audiences.
Dillon Ford of Miami earned his undergraduate degree from FAMU’s College of Agriculture and Food Sciences and continued at the university to pursue his master’s degree. Ford reflected on how his FAMU experience pushed him outside his comfort zone, encouraged him to become more involved with his peers and helped him develop as a leader.
Members of FAMU’s “The College Tour” cast share a lighthearted moment during the panel
discussion following the screening at Lee Hall Auditorium. The featured students reflected
on their experiences filming the episode and representing FAMU. (Photo courtesy: Jeff Adams, FAMU University Photographer.)
Those experiences eventually led Ford and other students to take initiative on an agriculture-focused project that began as a small garden and grew into a larger vision for an agricultural space on campus. For Ford, the project provided an opportunity to put his education into practice while contributing to his college and University.
For fellow cast member A’Deja Farlow of Seaford, Delaware, FAMU has become a place where military service and her goal of becoming a nurse intersect. The Army ROTC and School of Nursing student balances early-morning ROTC responsibilities with the demands of nursing school, an experience she said that requires discipline and commitment.
A’Deja Farlow, an Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and School of Nursing
student featured in FAMU’s episode of “The College Tour,” poses on the red carpet
ahead of the Sept. 11 screening at Lee Hall Auditorium. (Photo courtesy: Jeff Adams, FAMU University Photographer.)
Farlow said serving as a soldier while pursuing nursing has strengthened her confidence and given her a deeper sense of purpose.
“I’m committed to the military and to being a nurse,” Farlow said. “Being an Army soldier, plus a nurse, gives me confidence. I have a deep sense of purpose in both areas.”
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Allyson L. Watson, Ph.D., said experiences like those highlighted in the episode demonstrate how learning at FAMU extends beyond the classroom.
“Amazon is a major platform, and so is Florida A&M University,” Watson said. “To have a virtual college tour that is a high-quality, high-level peek into what Florida A&M can offer is exceptional.”
FAMU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Allyson L. Watson, Ph.D., reacts
during the screening of FAMU’s episode of “The College Tour” at Lee Hall Auditorium
on Sept. 11, 2026. (Photo courtesy: Jeff Adams, FAMU University Photographer.)
Watson pointed to internships, international experiences and experiential learning as examples of how students can apply their education while preparing for life after graduation.
“People say all the time, ‘You can get anywhere from FAMU,’ and you truly can,” Watson said. “You learn so much at FAMU, not only in the classroom, but also in the field as you prepare to be a leader of your own time.”
Following the screening, members of the featured cast participated in a panel discussion
and Q&A, reflecting on the filming experience and what it meant to represent FAMU
before a broader audience.
Karma Muslim, a senior computer information systems student from Atlanta, Georgia, said hearing directly from the cast reinforced the pride and sense of community portrayed throughout the episode.
“The College Tour panel was very insightful,” Muslim said. “I feel like the students on the panel did a good job expressing how FAMU has impacted them in a positive way. They did an amazing job highlighting our university, what we stand for and how proud everyone is to be a Rattler.”
Sanai McKinney, a College of Science and Technology student from Memphis, Tennessee,
smiles and applauds as she watches FAMU’s episode of “The College Tour” during the
premiere screening at Lee Hall Auditorium. (Photo courtesy: Jeff Adams, FAMU University
Photographer)
The episode also highlights how experiences outside the classroom contribute to student development and leadership.
Herb Johnson, M.P.A., director of University Housing, pointed to residential life as one place where students can develop skills that later translate into leadership roles across campus.
“I believe this is a very important moment to shine a light not only on the university, but the department itself,” Johnson said. “Having a position within University Housing of leadership can lead to bigger and better things.”
For Nedderman, telling FAMU’s story ultimately means showing prospective students that there is room for them to find their own place on the Hill.
FAMU President Marva B. Johnson, J.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Allyson L. Watson, Ph.D., Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Alonda Thomas, Ph.D., and members of “The College Tour” cast pose together following
the premiere screening and panel discussion at Lee Hall Auditorium. (Photo courtesy: Jeff Adams, FAMU University Photographer)
“I think FAMU is definitely a melting pot. I think there’s something here for everyone,” Nedderman said. “If you want to take those opportunities, it’s upon you to really be yourself and take the initiative to indulge and involve yourself within everything that FAMU has to offer.”
Through those student voices, FAMU’s appearance on “The College Tour” gives prospective Rattlers and their families an opportunity to experience life on the Hill from wherever they are and hear firsthand from students and graduates who chose to make FAMU their educational home.
Watch FAMU on “The College Tour”
Watch the full FAMU episode and explore individual segments featuring the student cast on the University’s official College Tour at FAMU webpage.
Media Contact:
Ashley Flete
Senior Communications Specialist
ashley1.flete@famu.edu
