Student Highlight: Toi Glover
Meet Toi Glover, a first-year Journalism major at CSULB, who is also joining our Black Scholars Team as a Co-Editor for the Black Scholars Newsletter. Toi has a passion for public speaking and enjoys transforming her thoughts into writing. Since writing is her passion, her career goals include working as a journalist for major news outlets.
When Toi is not attending her journalism classes, she’s introducing 5th grade students from Long Beach Unified School District to CSULB. Through the Long Beach College Promise, Toi demonstrates her love for public speaking by working as a tour guide under the Outreach department, inspiring younger generations to envision their future at The Beach. Her motivation to achieve these goals comes from her mom, who constantly encourages her to use her voice in spaces where it’s needed most. This influence has empowered Toi to be a spokesperson for not only herself but others, reflecting her strong desire to be a leader on campus.
Toi chose CSULB after recognizing that the college was local, and she felt she wasn’t quite ready to attend college out of state. After researching the career opportunities available to journalism majors, she wasted no time applying to a college where she saw both her professional and educational goals thriving. Before the start of her first semester, Toi decided to explore the more social aspect of herself by attending the Black Excellence Experience (BEE), a three-day summer bridge opportunity for first time first-year and transfer students to build connections with students, faculty, and staff. The experience made her transition from high school to college much smoother by easing her nerves and helping her network and gather resources early on.
A change Toi hopes to see on campus is for more students to become aware of the career opportunities related to their majors. She mentions how many students are eager to gain work experience, but many often don’t know where to start. She plans to encourage this change to take place by advocating in spaces where faculty and staff are present. Proposing workshops for career professionals to share insight into opportunities both on campus and within the community
Since being a student at CSULB, her proudest achievement is being able to vocalize the change she wants being made within the Black Scholars Newsletter. She recognizes that using her voice is one of the most powerful ways to position herself for the future she envisions. Recently, Toi attended Long Beach’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 85th Anniversary celebration and Freedom Fund Gala. She recalls this event as a “power trip” being surrounded by community members and alumni, all of which are people that want to encourage the educational advancement for future generations.
To Toi, a Black Scholar is one that advocates for themself in spaces where voices are not always heard. Whether in a classroom, an office, or in your own home, she encourages scholars to take the necessary steps to pave their way to success no matter the setting.
