College of Charleston Students

Five students from the College of Charleston took the time to share their about their high school and college experiences, their family life, religion and spirituality, career opportunities, race relations, and extracurricular activities, and their perspective on various issues facing Black youth and the Black community. 

Kimberly Tamia Arnold

Status: Senior
Major: Biology
Minor: African American Studies

Kimberly T. Arnold was born September 1, 1990 to Moses and Shirley Singleton in Greenville, SC, but was raised in Sumter, SC for most of her life. Arnold has one sister, Tabitha Arnold, who resides in Sumter. Arnold is a graduating senior at the College of Charleston, where she majored in Biology and minored in African American Studies and Health. For 2011-2012 she served as the President of the African American Studies Student Executive Council, Community Service Chair of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), Secretary of the South Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation (SCAMP), and participated in Leadership C of C. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and during her first two years of college she was actively involved in the Black Student Union and Student Government Association in addition to other organizations. Arnold is a Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, Ronald E. McNair Scholar, and a Avery Research Center Scholar. Her educational and career goals are to obtain a Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree with a concentration in Community Health and Prevention and a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Degree. She plans to work for a federal public health agency and help eliminate health disparities through research and community-level interventions and prevention programs. Her interests include the influence of culture on health behaviors, epidemiology, African American history, and sociology. Arnold's hobbies include reading books, shopping, taking fitness classes, and traveling to new places.
Full Interview

Brittany Nichole Counts

Status: Junior
Major: Psychology
Minor: African American Studies

Brittany N. Counts is from Inman, SC and is an upcoming junior Psychology major and African American Studies minor at the College of Charleston. Counts has a big family with five younger sisters, one older step sister and two older step brothers. At CofC, she is a part of the Bonner Leader Program and ROAR Scholars Program. As a Bonner Leader, she commits to serving at least 300 hours of community service a year and as a ROAR Scholar, she gets help in mapping out the path she needs to take to reach her goals. Counts hopes to become a Child’s Psychologist and ideally work in the children’s ward of a hospital. She works at an afterschool program and has 2 mentees. She loves reading and cooking.
Full Interview

Sara Makeba Daise

Status: Senior
Major: Communications
Minor: African American Studies

Sara Daise is a native of Beaufort, SC and the oldest child of Ron and Natalie Daise. She has a younger brother, Simeon. Sara is a graduating senior at the College of Charleston receiving a B.A. in Communication with an emphasis in Media Studies and a minor in African American Studies. She is the former president of The Black Student Union, as well as an active student leader and community activist. Sara also serves as a committee member for the President's Community Advisory Board which advises the President on matters of Diversity and other College issues. She has worked as a mentor and tutor for the Upward Bound Pre-College program at the College of Charleston and with Social Butterflies, a female mentoring program at Burke Middle School. Her passions include journalism, poetry, music and working with and inspiring African American youth. Sara plans to pursue Masters and Doctorate degrees in Education Administration and African American Studies. She lives fully committed to being the change she wants to see in the world
Full Interview

Alton D. Johnson (AJ)

Status: Senior
Major: Communications

Alton Johnson is a native of Aiken, SC and was born on December 13, 1990 to Alton Johnson and Vickey Johnson. Johnson has two siblings: CJ Johnson and Breanna Johnson.  He is a student at The College of Charleston where he takes part in many different activities including the C of C Diversity Advocates, C of C Radio, and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Johnson is very passionate about all the things civil rights, thus leading to his aspirations to become a professional civil rights activist.  Though vague, he finds many different paths to reaching this goal whether it is through non-profit or civil rights attorney work all of which inspires and excites him.  In his free time, he enjoys reading and writing, as well as performing as an outspoken performance poet for all who will listen.
Full Interview