TCC honors ‘women who tell our stories’

By Alexis Thornton
Special to the Outlook

Their achievements and titles were spelled out right next to their names on the program.

How they got there were all together different stories, each one compelling. The lives they live, however, is sufficient for Tallahassee Community College to honor them as “Women Who Tell Our Stories.”

Fifteen of those women were recently honored as part of the college’s annual Women’s History Month celebration. The honorees were 10 community women and five TCC students.

Redemption, rebounding or even surviving were at the core of some of their stories. 

All those elements would easily be found in the stories of Kalle Herring, one of the selected students, and Felicia Dilbert, a community leader who found her purpose in writing.

Herring is a first generation TCC student from Live Oak, majoring in Business Administration. She is also a student in real estate school.

Her extracurricular involvements make up an impressive list, as she is president of Sister to Sister, vice president of TCC’s Black Student Union, a full time photographer, and a member of the college’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. 

All that from a student who grew up with her mother as her only parent. Her experience at TCC has been life-changing, Herring said.

“At TCC, I’m counted more as a name and not a number,” she said. “Choosing TCC has given me many resources and opportunities. I have been to two conferences this year, in Tampa, Florida and Nashville, Tennessee, (for) a total of four big conferences I was invited to.”

Being away from home for the first time had some challenges when she cameto TCC, but Herring said she has found ways to engage in college life. 

Folks around her were taking notice, too, especially of her involvement with Sister to Sister.

“Kalle is an impressive young woman with natural leadership skills,” said Sharisse Turner, Dean of Transitional Studies and director of Sister to Sister. “The other members of Sister to Sister are drawn to her magnetic personality and her positive spirit.” 

The self perseverance that Herring demonstrated is also obvious in Dilbert’s story.  A best-selling author and a motivational speaker from Pelham, Ga., Dilbert credits her success to a higher power.

That has led to what she calls making “concrete choices” in the way she’s been able to manage diabetes.  In turn, she found time to write “Beautiful Healing,” which became Amazon’s best-selling book.

To hear her tell it, the book appears to be a microcosm of her life.

“Beautiful Healing is a mindset,” Dilbert said. “I imagine a world in painful circumstances strengthens one’s will to live. With each new day, they courageously choose to put one foot before the other.

“This transformed mindset, this unrelenting willingness to prevail regardless of life’s unknown is what I’ve coined as the Beautiful Healing Mindset.”

Community honorees:

Sally Bradshaw, owner and operator of Midtown Reader

Berneice Cox, president and CEO of United Way of the Big Bend

Felicia Dilbert, founder of Beautiful Healing and author of two Amazon best-selling books

Kathryn Gladwell, community volunteer with Guardian ad Litem

Jordan Jacobs, senior vice president at Moore

Pricilla Jean-Louis, owner and CEO of K&D Kreative Designs & Marketing Solutions and Alzheimer’s advocate

Audrey Kidwell, grants manager at the Center for Disaster Philanthropy

Dr. Michelle Mitcham, CEO and publisher of Tallahassee Woman, associate professor at FAMU, and CEO of Courageous Conversations

Sarojanie “Ro” Samlal, exceptional student education teacher at Shadeville Elementary

Shaqualyn Shedrick, founder and executive Director of She Academy

 Student honorees:

Grace Toole Duncan, member of the national-championship TCC Brain Bowl team, member of the Honors program, and receptionist at the Learning Commons

Eriel Henton, vice president of Sister to Sister

Kalle Herring, president of Sister to Sister and vice president of Black Student Union

Elizabeth Kemp, captain of the national-championship TCC Brain Bowl Team and member of the Honors program

Delana Sowell, Class of 2022 honors graduate and success coach in the Learning Commons