Rhoden Fellows
The Rhoden Fellows Initiative is a training program for the next generation of sports journalists from historically black colleges and universities, headed by Undefeated editor-at-large and former New York Times award-winning columnist William C. Rhoden. The fellowship – established as part of The Undefeated’s mission to develop new voices and serve as an incubator for future multicultural journalists – is open to outstanding undergraduate students at HBCUs.
Through the lens of sports, the fellows produce stories about race, class and culture and serve as campus correspondents for The Undefeated. There are six students in our fifth class: Keion Cage, Hampton University; Alexis Davis, North Carolina A&T; Sarah Jones-Smith, Howard University; Kianah Robinson-Chery, Hampton University; Cayla Sweazie, Morgan State University; Calvin Sykes, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2022
Keion Cage
Rhoden Fellows
Keion Cage, a native of Houston, Texas, is a strategic communications student with a minor in leadership studies. He currently serves as the associate editor for The Hampton Script, a student-run newspaper. Cage has written for SLAM Magazine and VYPE Media – a regional high school and youth sports platform.
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Alexis Davis
Rhoden Fellows
Alexis Davis is a senior multimedia journal journalism student from Prince George’s County, Md. She is a sports and culture contributor for The A&T Register, the campus newspaper at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro.
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Sarah Jones-Smith
Rhoden Fellows
A senior broadcast journalism major from Orange County, Calif., Sarah Jones-Smith writes for The Hilltop, Howard University’s student newspaper, and her writing has been published by The Los Angeles Wave, and more.
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Kianah Robinson-Chery
Rhoden Fellows
Kianah Robinson-Chery, a senior journalism major and cinema studies minor, worked for a year in videography and photography for the Hampton University band’s media team.
Cayla Sweazie
Rhoden Fellows
Cayla Sweazie, a senior multimedia journalism student and student-athlete with Morgan State’s softball team, is from Ashburn, Va. She is a contributing writer for The Spokesman, Morgan State’s student newspaper, and is on the masthead of the digital Unapologetic & Pure Magazine, a site by young journalists for young readers.
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Calvin Sykes
Rhoden Fellows
Calvin Sykes is a graduate student in sports science at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Fla. A native of Miami, Sykes was the sideline reporter for the Florida A&M Rattlers football from 2018-2020, program director for the school’s radio station WANM FM 90.5, and has written for HBCU GameDay.
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Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2021
Ashton Edmunds
Rhoden Fellows
Ashton Edmunds, a senior mass media arts major from Tallahassee, Florida, is the sports editor for The CAU Panther newspaper, an intern for The Atlanta Voice News Network and also an inaugural Turner Diversity Fellow at WarnerMedia.
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Jayla Jones
Rhoden Fellows
Jayla Jones, a junior business management major from Chicago is a game and feature writer for the Prairie View A&M athletics department. She has written for the student newspaper, <em>The Panther</em>, and enjoys telling athletes’ stories.
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Parker Owens
Rhoden Fellow
Parker Owens is a senior communication studies major and journalism minor from Broward County, Florida. He is a news and sports writer for Morehouse’s <em>The Maroon Tiger</em> and a contributing writer for NewsOne.
At Morehouse, I learned to listen, appreciate and tell others' stories
Jonathan Scott
Rhoden Fellows
A U.S. Navy veteran, Jonathan Scott is a sophomore journalism and communications major from Brooklyn, New York. He anchors and produces for The Scripps-Howard News Watch, on <em>WHOV-TV</em>, Hampton's broadcast station, and is the production assistant for the Hampton University Athletics' TV show, <em>Respect The H with Eugene Marshall, Jr.</em>
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Marissa Stubbs
Rhoden Fellows
Marissa Stubbs is a junior broadcast journalism scholar from St. Petersburg, Florida. She is the assistant sports editor for <em>The Famuan</em>, Florida A&M’s school newspaper, and a sports reporter for athletics.
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Alex Williams
Rhoden Fellow
Alex Williams is a sophomore broadcast journalism major and sports administration minor from New Orleans. She is a sports writer for Howard’s <em>The Hilltop</em> newspaper, along with being the sports editor for <em>Her Campus</em> magazine (Howard chapter).
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Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2020
Whitney Bronson
Rhoden Fellow
Whitney is 2019 Rhoden Fellow and a senior journalism major from Cincinnati. She works at Hampton’s on-campus radio station, WHOV 88.1 FM. She is also a play-by-play commentator for women’s basketball games and a color commentator for football and men’s basketball.
I learned to persevere and gained confidence from my Hampton experience
Arthur Cribbs
Rhoden Fellow
Arthur is a 2019 Rhoden Fellow and a junior journalism major from Los Angeles. He works with the Department of Athletics at Howard and served as the production manager with Spotlight Network.
I'm 100% black and 100% Japanese and I found my true self at Howard University
East L. Dockery
Rhoden Fellow
East is a 2019 Rhoden Fellow and a sophomore multimedia journalism major from North Carolina (“the 336” to be specific). She is the creator and host of
East&Market, a campus-based YouTube show, and also serves as a videographer for the Aggies football team.
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Nathaniel Easington
Rhoden Fellow
Nathaniel is a 2019 Rhoden Fellow and a senior journalism major and history minor from Evanston, Illinois. He has written both sports and news for The Hilltop and the Ghanaian Times. Having grown up a die-hard sports fan of everything Chicago, he is a firm believer that the Bears will be in Super Bowl contention this year.
My senior year, I had to step up my journalism game
Kevin Parrish Jr.
Rhoden Fellows
Kevin is a 2019 Rhoden Fellow and a junior mass communications and print journalism major from Baltimore. He's a reporter for The Spectrum student newspaper and is a big fan of the Washington Wizards.
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Randall C. Williams
Rhoden Fellow
Randall is a 2019 Rhoden Fellow and a senior journalism and communications major from outside of Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. He is a former Bloomberg intern and is the sports editor for the Hampton Script. He 100% believes that “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is the greatest cartoon of all time.
My family is rooted in black colleges and now I am, too
Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2019
Janae Adams
Rhoden Fellow
Janae Adams is a senior mass media arts major from the Bay Area. She is a staff writer for “The Panther” and is a firm believer that drums are better than flats.
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Allana J. Barefield
Rhoden Fellow
Allana J. Barefield is a senior mass communication major. The Bostonian is a student representative for the NABJ Sports Task Force, and loves writing feature stories because sports are more than just stats.
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Isaiah George
Rhoden Fellow
Isaiah George is a senior multimedia journalism major from Temple Hills, Maryland. He's a reporter for BearTV at Morgan and is a fan of all the major Washington, D.C., sports teams.
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Deja Harrison
Rhoden Fellow
Deja Harrison is a sophomore mass communication major from New Orleans. She is a Gramblinite Sports writer and GSU-TV reporter at Grambling State.
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Tiffany Hoyd
Rhoden Fellow
Tiffany Hoyd is a senior media journalism and film communications major from Murrieta, California. She serves as Howard's football manager and color commentator, and enjoys playing spades and listening to R&B.
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Tucker Toole
Rhoden Fellow
Tucker Toole is a 2020 Morehouse College graduate. This Chicago native was sports editor for the “Maroon Tiger” and is a die-hard Chicago sports fan.
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Rhoden Fellows: Class of 2018
Simone Benson
Rhoden Fellow
Simone Benson is a multimedia journalism major at Morgan State University. She reports on food access and social justice, and recently helped produce a documentary in Havana.
There is so much to love about my HBCU, Morgan State
Donovan Dooley
Rhoden Fellow
Donovan Dooley is a former Rhoden Fellow and a multimedia journalism major from Tuscaloosa, AL. He attends North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University.
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Paul Holston
Rhoden Fellow
Paul Holston journalism major from Summerville, SC. He attends Howard University and served as 2016-17 editor-in-chief of The Hilltop.
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Miniya Shabazz
Rhoden Fellow
Miniya Shabazz is a Rhoden Fellow and a junior mass communication major from Laurel, MD. She attends Grambling State University and is a staff writer for The Gramblinite.
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C. Isaiah Smalls II
Rhoden Fellow
C. Isaiah Smalls, II is a Rhoden Fellow and a graduate of Morehouse College from Lansing, Michigan. He studied Cinema, Television and Emerging Media Studies. He was Editor-in-Chief of The Maroon Tiger.
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Kyla Wright
Rhoden Fellow
Kyla L. Wright is a Rhoden Fellow and a sophomore journalism major, graphic design minor from Detroit. She attends Hampton University and writes for the Hampton Script.
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