Today@Sam Article
Commencement Spotlight: Kennedy Singleton
Dec. 10, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Campbell Atkins
By Damikka Willis
Kennedy Singleton
Detroit, Michigan
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Kennedy Singleton’s resilience in earning her degree and achieving career goals helped her overcome numerous hurdles throughout her academic journey.
“2022 was the most difficult year of my life,” Singleton said. “There were a lot of life transitions I had to adjust to, and it negatively impacted my mental health at the time.”
Despite hitting a rut during the COVID-19 pandemic like countless college students, Singleton rededicated herself to her lofty goals and was able to map a successful path to her degree in communication studies.
“I completed four summer classes in order to continue my studies and graduate from Sam Houston State,” she said.
Singleton is familiar with overcoming hardships, which has fostered a consistent dedication to helping others. As her Bearkat journey comes full circle this month with her commencement, she recalls the communities that made it all worthwhile.
Throughout her undergraduate studies, she founded an organization called Black Women Empowered, which earned an excellence award during SHSU’s Creed Week celebration. She coordinated fundraisers and social events for the organization and used this platform to benefit others.
“I hosted a donation drive around Christmas and packed up a bunch of accessory bags for the homeless community in Houston,” she said. “I gathered a group of eight people and we walked around the city distributing bags.”
During the severe winter storms that swept through the area in 2021, she organized a donation fund for students who were going through food insecurity. The freeze was a historical winter event that broke records with chilling weather engulfing the entire state of Texas, leaving many without power.
Academically, Sam Houston provided Singleton with the necessary resources to continue pursuing her degree while orchestrating independent projects to benefit the community. It also allowed her a space to identify and define her long-term career aspirations.
“The different career fairs and all of opportunities you have access to as a student, those are the resources that will build a person through their time in college,” Singleton said. “That's what I’ll miss most.”
This past summer, she completed a marketing internship with LJA Engineering. She has also completed internships with HubSpot, Johnson & Johnson, Guardify and The Jackson Laboratory throughout her studies. Singleton is currently working full time as a communications coordinator at BGE, Inc., an engineering firm.
Singleton ultimately aspires to be the director or vice president of a marketing or communications department. She is passionate about creating content in the architectural engineering and construction industries and believes that working to find your professional niche is essential for a smooth four years in higher education.
“I find that getting ahead on schoolwork is the best thing I can do,” Singleton said. “Finishing my homework on the weekends ahead of time is helpful and finishing what’s due a week ahead has worked out well for me. I’m invested in my career, so I’ll do whatever it takes to balance school and work efficiently.”
Singleton is grateful to the university for the empathy she received during her time at Sam. She recognized the importance of pursuing an education as a woman of color and is proud of herself for never giving up.
“There were many moments when I was ready to drop out and quit. I’ve realized how important it is to be an educated Black woman, because there’s already so much up against me by default,” she said. “Thank you to everyone who has uplifted me during my time at Sam, it’s been an interesting and abundant experience.”
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