TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Transferring to a new university can be both exciting and intimidating. For students entering Florida A&M University, the transition often involves adapting to the academic rigor, cultural pride, and long-standing traditions that define the institution. Within the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, transfer students face an additional hurdle: completing the senior capstone project, a comprehensive requirement that marks the culmination of their undergraduate education.
The capstone course is designed to test students’ readiness for the professional world. It requires seniors to apply years of coursework to create a real-world communication campaign that combines research, writing, strategy, and collaboration. For transfer students, the process can feel especially demanding. Many must adjust to new expectations, unfamiliar faculty, and a different academic culture, all while trying to keep pace with classmates who have been at FAMU since their freshman year.
For Alexis Freeman and Jasmine Mention, both seniors at FAMU, the capstone experience has been a defining moment in their college journeys. Their stories reflect the challenges transfer students often face and the resilience required to overcome them.
Freeman said her early months at the university were marked by uncertainty and a lack of direction. Navigating course requirements and understanding expectations within SJGC proved challenging, particularly without consistent academic guidance.
“At first, I felt like my advisor didn’t do a good job helping me settle in as a transfer student,” Freeman said. “I didn’t really know what classes I should be taking or what I needed to focus on.”
Her experience began to change after being assigned a new academic advisor who helped her better understand her degree plan and academic goals. With clearer guidance, Freeman felt more confident and supported as she progressed toward graduation.
“Thanks to my current advisor, he’s helped me out a lot with my classes and making sure I’m good in school,” she said.
Now nearing the end of her undergraduate career, Freeman approaches her capstone with focus and determination. While the workload has been intense, she sees the project as an opportunity to showcase the skills she has developed and prove to herself that she belongs.
For public relations senior Jasmine Mention, transferring to FAMU was about more than academics. It was about culture, identity, and community. As a nontraditional student, Mention said she intentionally chose an HBCU to experience a sense of belonging she felt was missing elsewhere.
“I expected to see a lot of Black people and gain friends I would have in my life forever,” Mention said. “I’m older, so I honestly just wanted the authentic HBCU experience I saw on A Different World.”
While she embraced the cultural environment, Mention admitted that the transition came with moments of insecurity. During her first semester, she took a marketing class at FAMU’s School of Business and Industry, where she found herself comparing her appearance and confidence to those around her.
“Everyone was always dressed up so nice,” she said. “It made me feel like, wow, why am I not putting as much effort into my appearance? I felt like a high school kid.”
Rather than allowing those feelings to discourage her, Mention used them as motivation. She became more intentional about her confidence, preparation, and presence, both in and out of the classroom. Over time, she found her footing and began to feel more comfortable navigating FAMU’s academic and social spaces.
For both Freeman and Mention, the capstone experience has served as more than an academic requirement. It has been a lesson in resilience, time management, and self-belief. Balancing deadlines, group collaboration, and high expectations has forced them to adapt and push through moments of self-doubt.
Their experiences reflect the broader reality for transfer students at FAMU, many of whom must work harder to adjust while striving to meet the same standards as their peers. Despite these challenges, transfer students continue to contribute meaningfully to the campus community, bringing diverse perspectives and life experiences that enrich the classroom.
As Freeman and Mention prepare to graduate, they say the journey has shaped them in lasting ways. The lessons learned through capstone and their time at FAMU extend beyond the classroom, preparing them for the demands of professional life.
Their message to future transfer students is simple: perseverance matters. Success, they say, is not determined by where or how a journey begins, but by the commitment to see it through.
At FAMU, that determination reflects the true spirit of “The Hill”: resilient, resourceful, and driven to succeed.
