For the past four years, Corey Savage has been spreading Aggie Pride and Aggie love to historically black colleges and universities all across the country.
Savage, a 2002 graduate from the department of journalism and mass communication, is the director of college relations and partnerships for the Tom Joyner Foundation in Dallas, Texas.
“They were looking for a person who has a lot of experience working at HBCUs and I’ve worked at three,” Savage said.
After graduation, Savage worked at North Carolina A&T State University in the office of student affairs, he worked in the communications offices of St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh and Hampton University in Hampton, Va.
“The reason I started working at A&T is because of the people I encountered while a student there,” he said.
He’s passionate about HBCUs and wants to tell as many people as possible about them so they can have some of the same opportunities he’s had.
Since he started with the foundation, he’s overseen the construction of the foundation’s independent website rolled out initiatives to make HBCUs more veteran friendly and to give students an opportunity to study abroad.
“We have a lot of veterans coming home and they have great benefits with the G.I. Bill and we want to make HBCUs more veteran friendly to help them understand their benefits and the opportunities available to them at HBCUs,” Savage said.
“We also understand that in order for students coming from HBCUs to be successful, they have to think globally.”
The foundation has partnered with the Semester at Sea program to offer two full scholarships for students to take a voyage.
The biggest rewards for Savage in his four years on the job have been helping to provide students with these opportunities and being able to meet and converse with them.
“I’ve had an opportunity to talk to and meet great people and students who are appreciative for what the foundation has done for them,” he said.
During the college fair at the Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion, Savage said a mother came up to him and his colleagues in tears.
“She was saying that she’d pushed her daughter away from HBCUs and hearing Mr. Joyner and all the admissions professionals, she was now going to push her daughter to go to one.”
Savage said the foundation operates in the spirit of HBCUs by giving opportunities to those who wouldn’t normally have them.
While a lot of people are familiar with the foundation’s annual “Fantastic Voyage” cruise, not enough are familiar with the foundation’s commitment to exposing people to African American artists and their work.
“We bring on African American artists from across the country, we have private sales and we have seminars about art and preserving art collections,” Savage said about the cruise.
“To be able to be a part of those programs is great.”
While Savage enjoys his work and travel for other HBCUs, he still loves coming home to A&T.
“I try to get back to homecoming every year,” he said. “I just missed my 10-year reunion. I was upset about not getting to hear the First Lady speak.”
“The last time I was there, I was blown away by all the growth. It’s great to see A&T growing. I’m excited to see it grow and change.”
