I did not contact Mrs. Battiste until the middle of December of my senior year; belated to say the least.  With application deadlines quickly approaching, I had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. It was arguably the most stressful time of my life and out of frustration; I considered not even finishing several of my applications.  In addition to helping me organize my thoughts and implement a plan, Mrs. Battiste kept me on track, continuously reassuring me that all of my work would pay off.  She preserved my sanity when the stress of those times threatened to break me down.  Antoinette’s assistance helped me cope more than I could have imagined and for that, I am truly grateful.   ~J.T. Hirsch, Johns Hopkins University Class of 2016

 In High School I had an idea of where I wanted to go academically, but I didn’t have the plan of action to enter my dream college. As a member of the Upward Bound program I was offered suggestions and advise on how to apply to colleges; however, they specialized in California Universities when I had my mind set on the number one Historically Black College, Spelman College. 
      I met Mrs. Battiste through my work with the Black Student Association at Evergreen Valley High School, which she served as advisor for, so I knew the work that she had put into the achievement of past BSU members and students in general. Just like a concerned parent when it gets around that time, she asked my peers and I what our goals were and where we were planning to apply for college. 
     Mrs. Battiste truly took me under her wing when she found out I was so passionate about becoming a woman of Spelman, and when I found a waiting list letter in the place of an acceptance from my number one choice she went into hyper drive to make sure we did all that we could to get me through the gates. The weeks after I received the waiting list notice were spent calling admissions, Mrs. Battiste contacting her “connections”, and I writing a letter to Spelman College to express my desire to become admitted. 
     Throughout this entire process my mother and Mrs. Battiste were constantly encouraging each other and myself, letting me know that being waitlisted does not mean you are incompetent but that they were ensuring a space for me. And shortly after, that space was found in the form of an acceptance letter. Three years later from opening that envelope I see that I owe much of my success to Mrs. Battiste; without her help I probably would have seen Spelman College as too high of a goal and wait lists as a nice way of saying rejection. Her ideas to stay in contact with the school and her supporting words kept me perseverant. So now, entering my senior year as an English Major, Environmental Health Minor and having the privilege of becoming a member of a few Honor Societies, the Dean’s List, and achieving many other accomplishments on the campus of Spelman College, all I can say is Thank You Mrs. Battiste.   ~Dominique Smith, Spelman College Class of 2013 

My name is Jasmine Pleasant and I am a sophomore, 5 yr. MBA major at Hampton University from San Jose, California. Mrs. Battiste has been my advisor since my sophomore year of high school when I became a B.S.U officer. As the oldest of my parent's three children, having an advisor has been very beneficial for me. Mrs. Battiste showed much needed support and guidance to me and my fellow officers of the Evergreen Valley High School B.S.U. Through her mentorship we learned about seminars at local colleges, cultural events, and made connections with other adults, and learned valuable information about college. Her efforts never allowed me to quit!   ~Jasmine Pleasant, Hampton University Class of 2014

Back in high school, Mrs. Battiste encouraged me to apply for college. She explained how important it is to research colleges to know exactly what you are looking for in a school. I have always been comfortable with Mrs. Battiste to really talk about college and the process of applying to college. Mrs. Battiste also encouraged me to think outside my box of only applying to schools in California. If it were not for her I would not be currently attending a great Historically Black University, Hampton University, 3000 miles from home. I was always on top of turning in any paperwork or making sure the school had everything they needed of me because Mrs. Battiste was on top of me!  ~ Lyniece Diggs, Hampton University Class of 2013

Mrs. Battiste helped me by giving me suggestions on how to best prepare myself for the SAT and by telling me which High school classes would be most beneficial for college applications and which classes would prepare me for college. I now attend USC and I want to say thank you to Mrs. Battiste for helping to get me here.  ~ Ryan Thomas, USC Class of 2013