Rhoden Fellows
The Rhoden Fellowship is a training program for the next generation of sports journalists from historically Black colleges and universities, headed by Andscape editor-at-large and former New York Times award-winning columnist William C. Rhoden. The fellowship – established as part of Andscape’s mission to develop new voices and serve as an incubator for future multicultural journalists – is open to outstanding undergraduate students at HBCUs.
Through the lens of sports, the fellows produce stories about race, class and culture and serve as campus correspondents for Andscape. The eighth class of fellows includes: Assata Allah-Shabazz, Morgan State University; Nilea Cosley, Clark Atlanta University; Sydney Cuillier, Southern University and A&M College; Madison Firle, Howard University; Gabrielle Heyward, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University; and Aniyah Robinson, Langston University.
Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2025
Assata Allah-Shabazz
MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Assata Allah-Shabazz is a strategic communications major from Hershey, Pennsylvania. Allah-Shabazz coordinates interviews and game coverage as an assistant manager for BEAR-TV, the school’s internal network. She is the great-great-niece of the first HBCU player drafted to the NFL, Robert “Stonewall” Jackson.
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Nilea Cosley
CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY
Nilea (pronounced “Ny Lee”) Cosley, a senior pursuing a degree in mass media arts with a minor in journalism, is a native of Philadelphia. Cosley is a managing editor of the CAU Panther newspaper.
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Sydney Cuillier
SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE
Sydney Cuillier is a senior mass communications and broadcast journalism major from Houston. Cuillier reports and writes about developing sports stories for the Office of Student Media. In 2023, she created “Sydney’s on the Clock,” a sports talk show centered around teams in Louisiana.
Madison Firle
HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Madison Firle, an expectant Bachelor of Arts graduate in broadcast journalism, hails from San Francisco. As a bilingual student, Firle has also studied in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the Council on International Educational Exchange. Firle serves as a sports reporter during the Bison basketball and football seasons.
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Gabrielle Heyward
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY
A resident of the Carolinas via Rock Hill, South Carolina, Gabrielle Heyward is a
journalism and mass communication major. Heyward has participated on several school
leadership boards, including serving as yard editor for the A&T Register. She enjoys spending time
with her family and friends and trying new restaurants.
Aniyah Robinson
LANGSTON UNIVERSITY
Aniyah Robinson, originally from Wichita, Kansas, is a broadcast journalism major. Robinson provides social media coverage for the Lions’ athletic department, in addition to her dual role as associate editor and reporter for the school’s newspaper. In April 2023, Robinson became president of the Langston University chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2024
Takier George
HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Takier George, a 2024 Rhoden Fellow and native of Arlington, Virginia, is a senior majoring in English with a minor in television and film. Takier enjoys writing poems and has had her work published in The Amistad, Howard University's literary arts journal, and The Hilltop, Howard's student newspaper. She is also editor-in-chief of the Sterling Notes Literary Journal.
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Lawrence Goss
FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
Lawrence Goss, a 2024 Rhoden Fellow and senior broadcast journalism major who hails from Atlanta, has worked as an anchor at Rattler Take, the school’s news platform. He holds an active leadership role with three on-campus organizations and serves as the lead sports editor for the school's newspaper, The Famuan.
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Kamryn Jackson
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY
Kamryn Jackson, a 2024 Rhoden Fellow, is a senior multimedia journalism major from Prince George’s County, Maryland. In the fall she will serve as the managing editor of The A&T Register and president of Associated Sports Press Editors. Her favorite sport to play is volleyball, and her favorite sport to watch is basketball.
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Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2023
Alexis Black
North Carolina A&T State University
Alexis Black is a senior multimedia journalism student from Prince George’s County, Maryland. She is a contributor for The A&T Register, a student reporter for Aggie News and a student-athlete with N.C. A&T’s cheerleading program.
If I could go back in time, I’d choose my HBCU, North Carolina A&T, all over again
Jaicee Christian
Alabama State University
Jaicee Christian is a senior mass communications student from Birmingham, Alabama. He has covered sports for the communications club at Alabama State University and wrote for The Hornet Tribune, the campus newspaper at Alabama State.
At Alabama State, I found a passion for working in sports instead of playing them
Monet Heath
Howard University
Monet Heath is a senior journalism major and sports administration minor from Detroit. She is a reporter for Spotlight Network, a training organization at Howard for students majoring in broadcast journalism, TV production, audio production and film.
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Zoey Hodge
Hampton University
Zoey Hodge is a junior journalism major from Charlotte, North Carolina. She works on the social media team for Hampton University men’s basketball. When she isn’t out on the courts documenting the team, she also manages the content creation organization Hampton Quarterly, which focuses on fashion and HBCU culture.
Hampton University helped me discover the career I really want
Scott Lipscomb
Xavier University of Louisiana
Scott Lipscomb is a mass communications student from Prince George’s County, Maryland. He does postgame interviews for the Xavier men’s and women’s basketball teams and helps edit and produce for XU Media, Xavier’s student media outlet. He has also contributed content to the WHUR radio station website.
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Pam Rentz
Florida A&M University
Pam Rentz is a senior broadcast journalism student from Charles County, Maryland. She is the managing editor of FAMU’s campus newspaper, The Famuan.
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Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2022
Keion Cage
Rhoden Fellows
Keion Cage, a native of Houston, Texas, is a strategic communications student with a minor in leadership studies. He currently serves as the associate editor for The Hampton Script, a student-run newspaper. Cage has written for SLAM Magazine and VYPE Media – a regional high school and youth sports platform.
At Hampton, I found a home away from home and a true sense of brotherhood
Alexis Davis
Rhoden Fellows
Alexis Davis is a former Rhoden Fellow. She loves styling suits with sneakers and can name any sneaker you show her. She quit basketball to cheer in high school but hopes the women's basketball coverage she does now makes the sport forgive her for going to the other side of the sideline.
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Sarah Jones-Smith
Rhoden Fellows
A senior broadcast journalism major from Orange County, Calif., Sarah Jones-Smith writes for The Hilltop, Howard University’s student newspaper, and her writing has been published by The Los Angeles Wave, and more.
At Howard, I gained a sense of community and the camaraderie I had been longing for
Kianah Robinson-Chery
Rhoden Fellows
Kianah Robinson-Chery, a senior journalism major and cinema studies minor, worked for a year in videography and photography for the Hampton University band’s media team.
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Cayla Sweazie
Rhoden Fellows
Cayla Sweazie is a member of the Andscape social team and is probably making a TikTok right now. She is a former HBCU athlete (Go Bears) who now covers HBCU sports, lifestyle and culture.
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Calvin Sykes
Rhoden Fellows
Calvin Sykes is a graduate student in sports science at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Fla. A native of Miami, Sykes was the sideline reporter for the Florida A&M Rattlers football from 2018-2020, program director for the school’s radio station WANM FM 90.5, and has written for HBCU GameDay.
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Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2021
Ashton Edmunds
Rhoden Fellows
Ashton Edmunds, a senior mass media arts major from Tallahassee, Florida, is the sports editor for The CAU Panther newspaper, an intern for The Atlanta Voice News Network and also an inaugural Turner Diversity Fellow at WarnerMedia.
It's hard to believe how much I've grown on my journey at Clark Atlanta
Jayla Jones
Rhoden Fellows
Jayla Jones, a junior business management major from Chicago is a game and feature writer for the Prairie View A&M athletics department. She has written for the student newspaper, <em>The Panther</em>, and enjoys telling athletes’ stories.
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Parker Owens
Rhoden Fellow
Parker Owens is a senior communication studies major and journalism minor from Broward County, Florida. He is a news and sports writer for Morehouse’s <em>The Maroon Tiger</em> and a contributing writer for NewsOne.
At Morehouse, I learned to listen, appreciate and tell others' stories
Jonathan Scott
Rhoden Fellows
A U.S. Navy veteran, Jonathan Scott is a sophomore journalism and communications major from Brooklyn, New York. He anchors and produces for The Scripps-Howard News Watch, on <em>WHOV-TV</em>, Hampton's broadcast station, and is the production assistant for the Hampton University Athletics' TV show, <em>Respect The H with Eugene Marshall, Jr.</em>
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Marissa Stubbs
Rhoden Fellows
Marissa Stubbs is a junior broadcast journalism scholar from St. Petersburg, Florida. She is the assistant sports editor for <em>The Famuan</em>, Florida A&M’s school newspaper, and a sports reporter for athletics.
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Alex Williams
Rhoden Fellow
Alex Williams is a sophomore broadcast journalism major and sports administration minor from New Orleans. She is a sports writer for Howard’s The Hilltop newspaper, along with being the sports editor for Her Campus magazine (Howard chapter).
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Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2020
Whitney Bronson
Rhoden Fellow
Whitney is 2019 Rhoden Fellow and a senior journalism major from Cincinnati. She works at Hampton’s on-campus radio station, WHOV 88.1 FM. She is also a play-by-play commentator for women’s basketball games and a color commentator for football and men’s basketball.
I learned to persevere and gained confidence from my Hampton experience
Arthur Cribbs
Rhoden Fellow
Arthur is a 2019 Rhoden Fellow and a junior journalism major from Los Angeles. He works with the Department of Athletics at Howard and served as the production manager with Spotlight Network.
I'm 100% black and 100% Japanese and I found my true self at Howard University
East L. Dockery
Rhoden Fellow
East is a former Rhoden Fellow (2019-2020) and a senior multimedia journalism student at North Carolina A&T. She is from North Carolina (“the 336” to be specific). She is the creator of On-Screen w/ East Laureen, a visual podcast where she interviews various people within the sports & entertainment industry.
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Nathaniel Easington
Rhoden Fellow
Nathaniel is a 2019 Rhoden Fellow and a senior journalism major and history minor from Evanston, Illinois. He has written both sports and news for The Hilltop and the Ghanaian Times. Having grown up a die-hard sports fan of everything Chicago, he is a firm believer that the Bears will be in Super Bowl contention this year.
My senior year, I had to step up my journalism game
Kevin Parrish Jr.
Rhoden Fellows
Kevin is a 2019 Rhoden Fellow and a junior mass communications and print journalism major from Baltimore. He's a reporter for The Spectrum student newspaper and is a big fan of the Washington Wizards.
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Randall C. Williams
Rhoden Fellow
Randall is a 2019 Rhoden Fellow and a senior journalism and communications major from outside of Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. He is a former Bloomberg intern and is the sports editor for the Hampton Script. He 100% believes that “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is the greatest cartoon of all time.
My family is rooted in black colleges and now I am, too
Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2019
Janae Adams
Rhoden Fellow
Janae Adams is a senior mass media arts major from the Bay Area. She is a staff writer for “The Panther” and is a firm believer that drums are better than flats.
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Allana J. Barefield
Rhoden Fellow
Allana J. Barefield is a senior mass communication major. The Bostonian is a student representative for the NABJ Sports Task Force, and loves writing feature stories because sports are more than just stats.
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Isaiah George
Rhoden Fellow
Isaiah George is a senior multimedia journalism major from Temple Hills, Maryland. He's a reporter for BearTV at Morgan and is a fan of all the major Washington, D.C., sports teams.
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Deja Harrison
Rhoden Fellow
Deja Harrison is a sophomore mass communication major from New Orleans. She is a Gramblinite Sports writer and GSU-TV reporter at Grambling State.
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Tiffany Hoyd
Rhoden Fellow
Tiffany Hoyd is a senior media journalism and film communications major from Murrieta, California. She serves as Howard's football manager and color commentator, and enjoys playing spades and listening to R&B.
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Tucker Toole
Rhoden Fellow
Tucker Toole is a 2020 Morehouse College graduate. This Chicago native was sports editor for the “Maroon Tiger” and is a die-hard Chicago sports fan.
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Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2018
Simone Benson
Rhoden Fellow
Simone Benson is a multimedia journalism major at Morgan State University. She reports on food access and social justice, and recently helped produce a documentary in Havana.
There is so much to love about my HBCU, Morgan State
Donovan Dooley
Rhoden Fellow
Donovan Dooley is a former Rhoden Fellow and a multimedia journalism major from Tuscaloosa, AL. He attends North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University.
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Paul Holston
Rhoden Fellow
Paul Holston journalism major from Summerville, SC. He attends Howard University and served as 2016-17 editor-in-chief of The Hilltop.
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Miniya Shabazz
Rhoden Fellow
Miniya Shabazz is a Rhoden Fellow and a junior mass communication major from Laurel, MD. She attends Grambling State University and is a staff writer for The Gramblinite.
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C. Isaiah Smalls II
Rhoden Fellow
C. Isaiah Smalls, II is a Rhoden Fellow and a graduate of Morehouse College from Lansing, Michigan. He studied Cinema, Television and Emerging Media Studies. He was Editor-in-Chief of The Maroon Tiger.
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Kyla Wright
Rhoden Fellow
Kyla L. Wright is a Rhoden Fellow and a sophomore journalism major, graphic design minor from Detroit. She attends Hampton University and writes for the Hampton Script.
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