Providing access to opportunities opens new doors for students to realize their potential pathways. Learning goes well beyond the classroom for Cheyney students. Many find themselves and their passions through the co-curricular and career-building activities available right on campus.

As for Valedictorian Curtis Stockley IV and Salutatorian Jazmin Walker, these opportunities transformed their learning experience and set them on a path to success.

First-Generation Student, Role Model

Prior to his father’s passing when Stockley was 12, his father encouraged him to change his family’s lives for the better. This motivation instilled a drive in him early on, making it his mission to become a first-generation college student and a role model for his younger siblings and cousins.

Fast forward several years, Stockley will graduate as Valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA with a degree in Social Relations and a concentration in American Political Studies. His undergraduate degree is just the beginning of his educational journey. He will attend the graduate school of his choice to pursue a career in human resource management.

“I believe my purpose is to act as a beacon of hope to the youth who come after me. I want to show them they are more than their environment and that their fate is determined by their aspirations and work ethic in the face of hardships,” said Stockley.

While attending Cheyney, he was the President of the Student Government Association and President of the Delta Pi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. He was named the 2022-2023 Mister Blue & White for the Royal Court and was also involved in multiple clubs and organizations, including The Collegiate 100, The Barbershop, The S.E.T. Mentorship Program, The CU Honors Academy, and Social Media Committee.

In addition to furthering his degree and building a career, he plans to keep his sights on entering the world of politics some day with the hopes of changing communities for the better.

Forever Cheyneymade

As a 4.0 GPA Keystone Honors Academy Scholar who will graduate as Salutatorian with a major in Communications and minor in Psychology, Walker credits Cheyney with her holistic development in transforming her into an exceptional student and an amazing person. Most recently, she was nominated for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education 2023 Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence, an award granted to seniors who exhibit excellence in their pursuit of knowledge.

Along with her academic success, she participated in the Life Science and Technology Hub internship program and worked in a marketing role with one of the university’s strategic partners, Sure-BioChem Laboratories, LLC, a microbiological and chemical testing lab.

“I would not be the person I am today if it was not for Cheyney,” said Walker. “I live by the quote ‘Nothing is impossible’. The word itself says, ‘I’m possible,’ and Cheyney has contributed to the reason that this quote is such an inspirational one to live by.”

In addition, she served as a TRiO Scholar, an executive board member of the Student Government Association, a member of the 4.0 Club, and President of the CU Honors Academy Unity Committee. She was also a member of the Women’s Basketball team.

She plans to pursue a master’s degree in communications which she intends to pivot into a career in the media and productions career field.

###