How to Become an IBM HBCU Ambassador
In 2022, the Biden-Harris administration's White House Initiative for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) resulted in the creation of IBM Cybersecurity Leadership Centers in over a dozen HBCUs. The student leaders in these HBCUs are known as IBM HBCU ambassadors. These HBCU students are liaisons between their respective universities and IBM professionals focused on education equality. This relationship grants unique opportunities for networking, mentorship, resources, and future opportunities. Want to be an IBM HBCU ambassador? Here's how you can lead your HBCU.
Be an HBCU student at Participating HBCUs
There are over 100 HBCUs, but only a fifth house partner with the IBM HBCU Cybersecurity Initiative:
- Alabama – Alabama A&M University (AAMU), Talladega College (TC), Tuskegee University (TU)
- Florida – Edward Waters University (EWU), Florida A&M University (FAMU)
- Georgia – Albany State University (ASU), Clark Atlanta University (CAU)
- Louisiana – Grambling State University (GSU), Southern University System (SUS), Xavier University of LA (XULA)
- Maryland – Bowie State University (BSU), Morgan State University (MSU)
- Mississippi – Alcorn State University (ASU)
- North Carolina – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T), North Carolina Central University (NCCU)
- South Carolina – South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State), Voorhees University
- Texas – Texas Southern University (TSU)
- Virginia – Norfolk State University (NSU)
- West Virginia – West Virginia State University (WVSU)
If your HBCU isn't part of this initiative, ask if there's an IBM-HBCU Quantum Center connected to the IBM Quantum Education and Research Initiative.
HBCU alum should share this info with their alma mater to support HBCUs.
Contact Your HBCU Computer Science or Cybersecurity Department
Request to talk with faculty and staff charged with leading your HBCU IBM partnerships. Treat this step as a interview process. Take the first opportunity available to explain:
- Why you want to lead your student body as an IBM HBCU ambassador
- Who you are as a student, leader, and teammate
- What you plan to do, how, when, and where (have ideas)
Whether you're selected or not to be an IBM HBCU ambassador, you should still continue with the rest of this listacle. You never know when you might be called up to replace someone. You could be the best choice next year or semester. More importantly, it will boost your professional development, leading to other opportunities.
Attend the IBM HBCU Ambassador Meetings
Actively participate in the the free, open-to-all, IBM HBCU VS HBCU Student Tech Talk Wednesdays for HBCU student ambassadors . The IBM HBCU Light the Fire (HBCUs Sharing Best Practices) is specifically for HBCU science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty and staff connected to the IBM HBCU initiatives, but it can be helpful to passively listen in at times.
Complete IBM SkillsBuild Courses
Complete a few IBM training courses, specifically ones that award IBM Credly badges. They're free. Lead by example.
Educate Your HBCU Community on the IBM HBCU Cybersecurity Initiative
Evangelize IBM resources to students interested in information security (InfoSec) and STEM related student organizations and faculty and staff:
- IBM SkillsBuild training courses
- IBM Speed Mentoring for HBCUs by IBM professionals (ask your IBM HBCU strategist for more info)
- IBM SkillsBuild Parker Dewey micro-internships
- Future opportunities to stand out in applications in IBM careers
You should also understand the White House initiative's relationship to HBCU history.
Mind Your Social Media Activity
Potential employers, professionals, and other collaborators will oftentimes audit your online profile to get better understanding of how you might mesh with their company culture, team, and goals respectively. For example, I've surely been excluded from many career opportunities because a hiring manager noticed my content about pro-Black topics:
- Black-owned businesses including the We Buy Black app
- Reparations for Black American Descendants of Slaves (ADOS)
- How gay and versus straight black males - XY-chromosomal boys and men - are treated
- Many, many more
I doubt you'll have similar issues from sharing posts from HBCU-central channels or images in HBCU shirts, HBCU hoodies and other unique HBCU apparel. Just beware of unspoken consequences to doing anything related to pro-Black activism.
Tags: college, hbcus, IT, cybersecurity
