MY TRUTH: Briana is making us proud

By Cheryl Smith

At the Texas Metro News Honors program, Tuesday evening, six dynamic area women were honored for their leadership as the presidents of international organizations. A scholarship was also presented to a young lady who is also dynamic and we are sure she will be receiving many awards during her lifetime.

She didn’t know she was up for an award, nor that she would receive a scholarship, but her work speaks volumes and has been noticed

Which brings me to my truth.

Sometimes you don’t know who is watching you. When I first heard about Briana Jones- Gill, I was told how smart and talented she was. I was sent her résumé, which looked pretty impressive, and it helped that she was attending my alma mater, Florida A&M University and she was also majoring in journalism.

I invited her to the office and we visited. To say she was exceptional would be an under-statement.

But I always have to be cool and not let on when I’m impressed so I can see just how much impressing you can do for me.

Well, Briana rose to the occasion and there’re so many great things that I could say about her.

I wanted to offer an internship, but she already was obligated.

Still, she kept in touch with me and we talked about our careers, life, and everything.

I met her grandma and we had interesting conversations so I felt really good about this young lady.

I went to Homecoming and we spent time together where I got to know more about her.

Not Briana Jones-Gill. A very respectful young lady who is focused and a joy to be around, realizes she has a lot to learn.

Now many of these young people think they’re gonna make it on their own. They don’t need to have mentors and they don’t need to have relationships with people who have been there and done that.

Every year, the Don’t Believe the Hype Celebrity Bowl-a-thon is held and we have presented scholarships since 1995. Those scholarships have gone to students in the Dr. Emmett J. Conrad Leadership Program which was started by State Senator Royce West. COVID changed a lot of things but we’re bouncing back and we still give scholarships and internships.

Judge Aiesha Redmond donated to the scholarship fund.

Here was Briana, a young lady who is a graduate of the Talented and Gifted Magnet at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, studying journalism and had a 3.7 grade point average.

She was a student leader on campus and did things that I was doing when I was on campus; like being part of journal- ism programs, and writing for student publications.

She is one of the co-anchors for the television broadcast and she is also a member of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

I talked to several people about her, even fellow students and recent graduates of FAMU like Robert Tucker, who had high praise for her.

She had no idea that she was even under consideration for a scholarship!

So unbeknownst to her and her grandma, we planned to honor her with the scholarship.

We are so glad that we did because even before the event I talked to her grandmother, Gwendolyn Jones, and she talked about her granddaughter in such a positive way.

I thank Judge Redmond for supporting and promoting academic excellence.

I can’t wait to see Briana when she comes home and she knows that should she decide that she wants to have an internship with Texas Metro News; guess what? It will happen, because she is so deserving.

Everybody has their time and their season. This is one of many successful seasons I believe for Briana.

Bless her bless her family and bless those who are pouring into her.

I feel good, knowing that those who poured into her have laid the foundation because she is going to pour into others, and in addition to doing some out-standing work in her field, her commitment to not only excellence and community service and being a good student leader will bode her well.

That is why we are honored to present her with this scholarship that we call the Dr. Betty Shabazz Academic Excellence Scholarship because like Dr. Shabazz, Briana realizes how important an education is and further she realizes to whom much is given…