Cheyney Students in Action: Danielle Edwards Gains Hands-On Wildlife Care Experience

Cheyney Students in Action:

Danielle Edwards '28 Gains Hands-On Wildlife Care Experience

Cheyney University student Danielle Edwards took her learning beyond the classroom summer 2026 as a Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Intern at the Northwoods Wildlife Center in Minocqua, Wisconsin.

Through the paid internship, which also included housing, Danielle worked alongside wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians to care for injured and recovering animals. She assisted with examinations and diagnostic procedures, provided daily medical care for a variety of wildlife, practiced proper animal-handling and safety protocols, and helped transport injured animals during emergencies.

Danielle also led educational tours, helping visitors better understand wildlife conservation and rehabilitation.

Her experience reflects the amazing work Cheyney students are doing in communities and professional settings across the country. Through experiential learning opportunities like this one, students gain valuable skills, explore career paths, build confidence, and make a meaningful real-world impact.

Danielle is currently in her Junior year at Cheyney (Class of 2028) and her major is Biology with a Pre-medicine concentration

Congratulations to Danielle on an incredible summer experience. Cheyney University looks forward to seeing where her passion and preparation take her next!

For more Honors Academy stories like this, follow Cheyney University Honors Academy on IG – @cuhonors1837

Cheyney Honors Academy in the News

Cheyney Honors in the News

Honors Academy Latest News & Features

The Cheyney University Honors Academy continues to earn recognition for the achievements of its scholars, faculty, and programs. From student research and academic leadership to community impact and institutional growth, these stories highlight how the Honors Academy is advancing excellence while preparing the next generation of scholars, professionals, and changemakers.

Explore recent articles, media coverage, and feature stories about the Honors Academy through the links below. Visitors may also download and read our featured article in HBCU Times, which offers an in-depth look at the people, accomplishments, and vision shaping the Academy’s continued growth.

Cheyney Honors in the Philadelphia Tribune

Cheyney welcomes nearly 112 students for college readiness program

Cheyney University Featured in the HBCU Times

MarQuita L. Danzy, New Director of Alumni Relations

Alumna and longtime University advocate will lead efforts to strengthen alumni engagement, connection and service. Cheyney University has appointed MarQuita L. Danzy as Director of Alumni Relations, placing a dedicated alumna and experienced community leader at the center of the University’s work to deepen relationships with graduates and create new opportunities for alumni involvement. For MarQuita, Cheyney is more than the institution where she earned her degree. It is a lifelong connection shaped by education, service, family, and a deep commitment to preserving and advancing the University’s legacy while doing what’s in the best interest of our students. A member of the Class of 1999, MarQuita earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations with a minor in Vocal Music. She later earned a Master of Science in Administration of Justice from Shippensburg University. She brings more than 26 years of administrative and leadership experience that spans international ministry, community service, and organizational development. MarQuita previously served the University as Director of Campus Amenities and Internal Events, helping create experiences that brought students, employees, alumni and community members together. Her appointment builds upon that work and her longstanding service within the Cheyney alumni community.

She previously served on the Cheyney University of Pennsylvania National Alumni Association Executive Board of Directors as Recording Secretary and has chaired the organization’s National Membership Committee. She is also a financial and active life member of the National Alumni Association and its Philadelphia chapter. MarQuita understands that Cheyney’s alumni are not simply part of our history. They are essential to our future. She brings the institutional knowledge, relationships, and genuine commitment needed to strengthen alumni engagement and create more meaningful ways for our graduates to support Cheyney’s continued progress.

In her new role, MarQuita will focus on strengthening connections across generations of alumni, expanding opportunities for graduates to engage with students and the University, and building a stronger culture of service, advocacy, and philanthropy. Her connection to Cheyney also represents a continuing family legacy. MarQuita is the mother of a 2024 Cheyney graduate, Niya Danzy, who serves as the inaugural president of the Cheyney University of Pennsylvania National Alumni Association Young Alumni Council. Together, their experiences reflect the lasting influence of a Cheyney education and the importance of carrying that legacy forward. MarQuita’s community leadership includes involvement with the Philadelphia HBCU Alumni Alliance, the Trauma Informed Education Coalition and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She is also a published author and recorded singer, experiences that have further shaped her ability to communicate, build relationships and bring people together. “Cheyney has shaped my life, my family and my commitment to service,” says MarQuita. “I am honored to help strengthen the relationship between the University and the alumni who carry its legacy into communities around the world. I want every Cheyney graduate to know there is a place for them here and a meaningful role for them in our future.” As Director of Alumni Relations, MarQuita will help ensure that Cheyney’s legacy is not only celebrated, but activated through the graduates who continue to advance its mission and represent the University throughout the world.

MEET: Dr. Tanya Warren

Dr. Tanya Warren: A Legacy of Service, Strength, and Purpose

A Moment Worth Celebrating
Tanya Warren has devoted more than two decades to Cheyney University, rising from grant management roles to serving as Executive Associate to the President. In January 2026, she earned her Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership from Wilmington University. Her journey exemplifies dedication to continuous learning and a commitment to making a lasting impact on her university and the broader community.

A Career Built on Service
Before joining the Office of the President, Dr. Warren spent 14 years in Cheyney’s Title III/Economic Workforce Development programs, assisting with the management of federal Title III grants. Title III funding supports historically Black colleges and universities by strengthening physical infrastructure, academic resources, fiscal management, and endowments, thereby helping institutions such as Cheyney fulfill their mission of educational opportunity. Activities funded through Title III can include student services, faculty and staff development, community outreach, and facility improvements. Working within this program gave her a broad understanding of institutional operations and the importance of federal support in sustaining access for underrepresented students.

After 14 years of managing grants, she moved to the President’s Office as Executive Associate and has remained in that role since 2017. In this position, she oversees administrative functions and coordinates initiatives that touch nearly every area of the university. Her longevity in the post speaks to her institutional knowledge, her trusted partnership with university leadership, and her ability to navigate external constraints.

A Call to Leadership Through Education
Dr. Warren’s decision to pursue an EdD was sparked at her own master’s graduation. When she noticed that no Black women were being recognized among the doctoral graduates, she resolved to fill that gap. Wilmington University’s EdD program in Organizational Leadership, Learning, and Innovation provides candidates with the skills to lead learning initiatives at every level of an organization and to sustain operational excellence through continuous improvement. The program offers concentrations that allow students to align their doctorate with professional goals and emphasizes collaborative learning with experienced faculty and diverse cohorts. Candidates also complete 120 hours of internship and an applied research dissertation to ensure their studies translate into real-world impact. Dr. Warren embraced this challenge while balancing her professional duties and family life.

Her dissertation, titled “Exploring the Effectiveness of Diverse Inclusivity Development of Hispanic Students at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania,” examined how well the university fosters a sense of belonging among Hispanic students. Through this research, she identified strategies to strengthen inclusive practices and cultivate camaraderie. She intends to implement these findings in her role by developing programs and practices that make the Hispanic population feel welcomed and valued on campus.

“Leadership is not defined by position. It is defined by the willingness to step forward, take responsibility, and create opportunity where none existed before.”

Impacting Students and the Community
Asked what she enjoys most about working at Cheyney, Dr. Warren points to the opportunity to influence students’ lives in positive ways. Beyond her professional responsibilities, she invests in the wider community through entrepreneurship and ministry. Her small business, Blessed to Be a Blessing, provides food and clothing to women’s shelters. She also leads two women’s empowerment ministries: You Matter for those aged 18–35 and Dunamis Kingdom Women for women aged 36 and older. Through these ministries, she encourages women to recognize their worth and pursue their purpose.

Words of Wisdom
Dr. Warren’s path has not been without hardship. She continued her studies and work while caring for a child diagnosed with cancer at the age of six and coping with the loss of both grandfathers and her father in 2015. These experiences inform the advice she offers to colleagues and students: stay focused, remain integral, and do not give up. She believes that perseverance and faith provided the strength to endure adversity and that one’s character should speak louder than words. Her own persistence in completing a doctorate while maintaining full-time responsibilities and family commitments embodies that message.

With more than two decades of service at Cheyney University and a newly completed EdD in Organizational Leadership, Dr. Tanya Warren stands as a model of dedication and resilience. Her career began in the complex world of Title III grant management, where she supported initiatives that strengthen historically Black colleges and universities. Driven by the desire to see more women of color in leadership, she pursued and earned a doctoral degree designed to prepare leaders to inspire change and innovation. Her research on inclusivity for Hispanic students will guide her efforts to make Cheyney more welcoming to all.

Beyond campus, her entrepreneurial and ministry work empowers women and extends her influence into the community. Dr. Warren’s story illustrates how education, service, and unwavering commitment can transform both an institution and the lives it touches.

Sarah Walker is Rising With Purpose

Who's That Girl? Sarah Walker

Honors Scholar Sarah Walker Embodies the Cheyney Experience

At Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, student success is not defined by a single achievement. It is built through discipline, leadership, and a willingness to step beyond the classroom. Honors sophomore Sarah Walker represents that standard in motion.

An Honors Scholar with a 3.67 GPA, Sarah has distinguished herself not only through academic performance, but through the way she engages with the full range of opportunities available to her. As an Honors Ambassador and a member of the university’s cheer squad, she carries both visibility and responsibility. She represents Cheyney in spaces where excellence is expected and where preparation matters.

Her approach is deliberate. Rather than treating college as a series of requirements, Sarah has treated it as a platform. She has actively pursued programs that expand her perspective, strengthen her professional readiness, and connect her to broader networks of opportunity.

Among those experiences is her selection for a South Africa study abroad cohort through the HBCU Africa Education Coalition. The program is designed to increase access to global learning experiences across Africa and its Diaspora, offering students both cultural immersion and academic enrichment. For Sarah, the opportunity signals more than travel. It reflects intellectual curiosity and a commitment to understanding the global context of her education.

She has also been selected, for the second time, to participate in DevCon through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. The program focuses on career readiness, leadership development, and direct engagement with top employers. Returning to DevCon is not incidental. It suggests that Sarah is not only competitive, but consistent in how she presents herself in professional environments.

Her involvement extends into high-level academic competition as well. As a participant in the HBCU Battle of the Brains, she joins students from across the country in a national championship that blends problem solving, innovation, and employer visibility. It is a setting that rewards both intellect and teamwork, and one that places students directly in front of organizations seeking emerging talent.

At the same time, Sarah serves as a campus ambassador for the PROPEL Center, an initiative focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology exposure for HBCU students. In this role, she is not simply a participant. She is helping to connect other students to opportunities that can shape their futures.

What stands out is not any single accomplishment, but the pattern. Sarah is building a portfolio of experiences that reinforce one another. Academic rigor supports her credibility. Leadership roles expand her influence. External programs sharpen her direction.

This is exactly the kind of student experience the Cheyney University Honors Academy is designed to cultivate. Students who are engaged, well-rounded, and intentional about their growth.

For current students, her example is practical. Opportunities exist, but they require initiative. For prospective students, her story is proof of what is possible within the Cheyney environment. For alumni, it is a reminder that the university continues to produce students who are prepared to compete and lead.

Sarah Walker is not waiting for opportunities to find her. She is actively building them. And in doing so, she reflects the very best of what Cheyney strives to develop in every scholar who walks its campus.

March 20, 2026
3:10 pm

Mecca’s Mega Moment: Cheyney Honors Student Shines on The Jennifer Hudson Show with Will Packer

Stepping Into The National Spotlight

Cheyney Honors Academy turns preparation into opportunity on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

In a moment that perfectly captures what it means to be #CheyneyMade, Cheyney University Honors Academy student Mecca turned an unexpected opportunity into a defining milestone on the national stage of The Jennifer Hudson Show.

While attending a live taping, Mecca was selected from the audience and invited into the spotlight alongside acclaimed film producer Will Packer, known for producing some of Hollywood’s most successful and culture-shaping films.

What followed was a powerful display of confidence, clarity, and purpose.

Without hesitation, Mecca shared her passion for filmmaking and her aspirations within the entertainment industry. Standing on stage, she spoke with the poise, vision, and authenticity of someone already walking in her purpose, representing not only herself, but the excellence cultivated within Cheyney’s Honors Academy.

Moments like these don’t happen by chance. They are the result of preparation, dedication, and the courage to rise when opportunity calls.

At Cheyney University, students are equipped to lead, create, and step boldly into spaces where their voices matter. Mecca’s moment is a reflection of that legacy, one rooted in excellence, strengthened through scholarship, and driven by possibility.

“This is what it looks like when preparation meets opportunity,” said Clarence Williams, Chief Advancement Officer for Cheyney University. “We are incredibly proud of Mecca for representing Cheyney with such confidence and authenticity on a national platform.”

As the moment continues to gain attention, one thing is clear: this is only the beginning.

Congratulations, Mecca, on this incredible milestone. Your Wolfpack family is cheering you on every step of the way.

March 20, 2026
2:53 pm