HUNTINGDON COLLEGE
News Release
November 8, 2023
For more information, contact:
Dr. Anthony Leigh, aleigh@hawks.huntingdon.edu
Huntingdon Honors the Legacy of Patricia Guy
Montgomery, Ala. – For the third consecutive year, the Office of College and Alumni Relations partnered with the Black Student Union to pay tribute to Patricia Guy ’69, Huntingdon’s first black student and graduate. An overflow crowd brought their lunch into the Stallworth Dining Room on November 8 to celebrate Patricia Guy’s birthday and the tremendous growth in the number of students of color at Huntingdon since she first arrived on campus in 1965. A trio of distinguished Huntingdon women each spoke of the influence of Patricia Guy on their life and for black students who have followed in her footsteps.
In the book, Journeys that Opened up the World: Women, Student Christian Movements, and Social Justice 1955-1975, Huntingdon alumna Sheila McCurdy ’66 wrote about Patricia’s arrival at Huntingdon remembering that she sat alone in the dining hall for the first few days of that Fall semester in 1965. A passage from that book along with a biographical narrative of Patricia Guy’s life was shared by Ariel Dixon ’25, the reigning Miss Huntingdon, and the first black student to achieve that title in the 91-year history of the program. She noted, “I am blessed to be the Patricia Guy Scholar at Huntingdon and to help make sure my fellow students know about her important legacy here at the home we love so well. Because of Patricia Guy and the journey at Huntingdon of those who followed her, I’ve never had to walk into the dining hall and feel alone.” In addition to her service as Miss Huntingdon, Ariel is the President of Huntingdon’s Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter and Huntingdon Women of Color.
Mrs. Bria Rochelle-Stephens ’18 emceed the event. She currently serves Huntingdon as the Vice President for Strategic Academic Initiatives and Director of the Presidential Scholars Program. She was also the first black Homecoming Queen in Huntingdon history in 2017. She stated, “As an alumna of the college and current employee, I am really happy to celebrate a woman not well known before but has encouraged many, many students well beyond what she could have imagined.”
The keynote speaker for the lunch was Nevaeh McIntyre ’24, the current Student Government Association President and the first black female president in the history of the organization established in 1916. She stated, “Patricia’s courage to face the wind and keep showing up has given me the opportunity to stand before you today. She is the reason that diversity exists, allowing me the honor of each leadership role I have received. I am able to see what is possible through her example and existence. On any given day, Patricia is the reason we are allowed to fellowship with one another and bond over our college experience.” In addition to her SGA role, Nevaeh is the President of the Black Student Union, the President of Alpha Omicron Pi, and the 2023 Homecoming Queen.
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Huntingdon College, in accordance with Title IX and Section 106.8 of the 2020 Final Rule under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, other applicable federal and state law, and stated College policy, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. Similarly, it prohibits discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age and/or national origin in its education program
