Academic Excellence Starts Here
Join 19,800 students across the Academic Excellence Ecosystem and gain access to mentorship, critical thinking development, reading comprehension support, persuasive communication training, tutoring, leadership opportunities, and a national network committed to your success.
Scroll to meet Erika
National Ambassador
Erika Dabney
Academic Excellence Ecosystem
Meet Your Ambassador
Meet Erika Dabney
Erika Dabney is a 20+ year education professional, mentor, advocate, and National Ambassador for the HBCU Success Trust Academic Excellence Ecosystem.
Known to many as "Erika Still Standing," she has inspired thousands through her resilience, leadership, and commitment to helping students overcome obstacles and achieve academic success.
As a mother, advocate, educator, and mentor, Erika believes every student has the ability to grow, succeed, and lead when given the proper support and opportunities.
Her mission:
Help students think critically, communicate effectively, read with confidence, and develop the skills necessary to thrive in college and beyond.
Why Academic Excellence Matters
Success Begins With How You Think
Critical Thinking
Learn how to evaluate information, solve problems, and make smarter decisions.
Reading Comprehension
Improve understanding, retention, and academic confidence.
Persuasive Communication
Learn how to write, present, debate, and communicate effectively.
College Success Skills
Time management, organization, study strategies, and leadership development.
The Framework
The 8 Tools Every Thinker Needs
Tap any tool to expand.
Your Journey
Your Success Pathway
- 1
Accepted to HBCU
- 2
Join HBCU Success Trust
- 3
Meet Erika Dabney
- 4
Access Free Tutoring
- 5
Attend Academic Excellence Sessions
- 6
Participate in Polls
- 7
Join Campus Leadership
- 8
Gain Internship Opportunities
- 9
Graduate
- 10
Become a Leader
Lifelong Trajectory
HBCU Success Pipeline
Learning → Scholarships → Internships → Jobs → Graduation → Leadership → Legacy.
Video Library
Learn From Erika
Welcome to Academic Excellence
An introduction to the Academic Excellence Ecosystem and how to get the most from it.
Most Watched
Study Skills Masterclass
Top Rated
Critical Thinking Workshop
Recommended
Reading Comprehension Bootcamp
New Release
Persuasive Communication Intensive
Most Discussed
How to Thrive in College
Opportunity Access
Scholarships & Opportunities
Students may apply three ways. Every path leads back to the HBCU Success Trust Scholarship Committee.
Method 1 — Through a Campus Leader
- Brand Ambassador
- Content Captain
- Engagement Lead
- Polls Captain
- Campus Reporter
Method 2 — Through Erika Dabney
- National Ambassador
Method 3 — Directly Through HBCU Success Trust
- Website
- Scholarship Portal
Governance
Scholarship Recommendation Authority
- • Campus Leaders may recommend students.
- • National Ambassadors may recommend students.
- • Neither Campus Leaders nor National Ambassadors may approve, deny, guarantee, or promise scholarship awards.
- • Final scholarship decisions remain exclusively with the HBCU Success Trust Scholarship Committee.
Upcoming Events
Join Live Sessions
15
Critical Thinking Workshop
6:00 PM EST · Virtual
22
Reading Comprehension Bootcamp
5:30 PM EST · Virtual
06
Essay Writing Intensive
6:00 PM EST · Virtual
Student Success Stories
Real Students. Real Results.
"Erika's sessions completely changed the way I study and approach my coursework."
Jordan T.
North Carolina A&T · Mechanical Engineering
Outcomes Over Activity
Student Outcomes Dashboard
What this ecosystem actually produces — measured and reported.
Ambassador Performance Framework v2.3
Ambassador Outcome KPIs
These five outcome KPIs generate ambassador points — moving the work from engagement to results.
Free Academic Resources
Download. Study. Succeed.
Critical Thinking Toolkit
Free Toolkit · Updated 2026
Reading Comprehension Guide
Free Guide · Updated 2026
Study Skills Workbook
Free Workbook · Updated 2026
Essay Writing Guide
Free Guide · Updated 2026
Public Speaking Toolkit
Free Toolkit · Updated 2026
Time Management Planner
Free Planner · Updated 2026
Note Taking Templates
Free Guide · Updated 2026
Academic Success Blueprint
Free Blueprint · Updated 2026
Interactive Poll
What Is Your Biggest Academic Challenge?
Vote to earn student points. See live results.
Institutions in This Ecosystem
Where We're Building Excellence
North Carolina A&T
Fayetteville State
Shaw University
Paine College
Southwestern Christian College
Bennett College
Virginia University of Lynchburg
American Baptist College
Pensole Lewis College
Top Campus Leaders
This Month's Leaders
Hover any leader to preview their directory entry. Tap a contact to verify your student status — we keep our leaders safe by confirming who's reaching out.
The Five Roles
Full-time. Tiered base by seniority. Up to $3,000/mo in bonuses.
Every Campus Leader is hired full-time by HBCU Trust and works directly under their assigned Ambassador. Their job is one thing: get every student on their campus to 5 hours a week — 3 live with the Ambassador, 1 tutoring, 1 playback — and into the scholarship pipeline.
Brand Ambassador
Face of HBCU Trust on campus — recruits students into the Ambassador's ecosystem.
- Recruit 25+ new students/month to Erika's site & training calendar
- Host 2 in-person tabling events per month (student union, dorms, cafeteria)
- Rep HBCU Trust gear at every campus function — game days, Greek events, career fairs
- Drive ticket sales and attendance to live ticketed events on and off campus
- Maintain a weekly story/post cadence tagging @HBCUTrust + the Ambassador
- Scholarship awareness — surface open scholarships to every student in the roster
- Student recruitment into the Scholarship Pipeline
- Opportunity referrals — internships, fellowships, employer events
Content Captain
Owns short-form video, reels, and recap content that pulls students to the site.
- Publish 4 reels/week (TikTok, IG, YouTube Shorts) driving traffic to training pages
- Cut highlight clips from every live session within 24 hours of airing
- Create promo content for live ticketed events — hype reels, countdowns, and recap stories
- Coordinate with the Ambassador on weekly content theme + scholarship deadlines
- Track views, shares, and click-throughs — report weekly
- Scholarship promotion — produce dedicated reels for every active scholarship
- Deadline announcements — countdown content the week before each deadline
- Winner spotlights — published within 48 hours of every award announcement
Engagement Lead
Hits the 5-hour weekly student requirement — live, tutoring, and playback.
- Drive 3 hrs/wk LIVE attendance to the Ambassador's online sessions
- Schedule + confirm 1 hr/wk tutoring (math, reading, science, writing) per student
- Push 1 hr/wk playback completion — DM reminders, watch-party rooms
- Organize group attendance and transportation for live ticketed events
- Flag at-risk students (under 5 hrs) to the Ambassador every Friday
- Scholarship eligibility tracking — GPA, hours, conduct, deadlines
- Participation verification for scholarship readiness
- Student readiness reviews before any scholarship recommendation
Polls Captain
Owns voice-of-student — runs polls, surveys, and feedback loops.
- Launch 2 polls/week tied to current training topics and scholarship asks
- Hit 60%+ campus participation rate on every poll
- Run pre- and post-event polls for ticketed events to gauge demand and satisfaction
- Compile a Monday morning sentiment brief for the Ambassador
- Surface top 3 student requests to national HQ each month
- Scholarship interest surveys — match students to open scholarships
- Financial need surveys — identify priority candidates
- Career interest surveys — feed the internship + job pipeline
Campus Reporter
On-the-ground storyteller — wins, scholarships, and student spotlights.
- File 1 written campus story per week (300+ words) for the Ambassador's site
- Interview 2 students/month who hit the 5-hour requirement or won a scholarship
- Cover every major event: photos, quotes, captions ready within 48 hours
- Cover live ticketed events with real-time social updates and post-event stories
- Maintain a 'wall of wins' on the Ambassador's site
- Scholarship winner profiles — full-length features for every awardee
- Internship success stories from placed students
- Graduate success stories tracking alumni outcomes
Monthly Bonus Point System
Stack up to $3,000/month on top of base pay
Bonus ceiling is the same at every tier — $3,000/mo. Tier only changes base pay, so a New Leader who outperforms a Team Lead still earns the full bonus. Tracked weekly, paid the 1st of the following month. Extra qualifying actions roll into the National Leader of the Month $1,500 prize pool.
| Bonus Metric | Trigger | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| New Student Recruits | Per 10 verified sign-ups (cap 50/mo) | $200 each tier · up to $1,000 |
| 5-Hour Weekly Compliance | ≥85% of assigned students hit 5 hrs/wk all month | $750 flat |
| Live Session Drive | Average 3+ live hrs/wk attendance across roster | $400 |
| Tutoring Hours Booked | 100% of students log 1 tutoring hr/wk for the month | $300 |
| Playback Completion | 100% of students log 1 playback hr/wk for the month | $250 |
| Content Reach | 25K+ verified views driving site traffic (UTM-tracked) | $250 |
| Poll Participation | 60%+ campus response on every poll that month | $200 |
| Live Ticketed Event Drive | Sell 20+ tickets or bring 30+ verified attendees to a ticketed event | $300 per event · up to $900/mo |
| Scholarship Conversions | Per student who completes a scholarship application | $100 each · up to $500 |
| Story of the Month | Selected by Ambassador + national editors | $300 bonus |
| Perfect Attendance | Captain themselves attend every live + team huddle | $150 |
North Carolina A&T
Brand Ambassador
Content Captain
Engagement Lead
Polls Captain
Campus Reporter
Fayetteville State
Brand Ambassador
Content Captain
Engagement Lead
Polls Captain
Campus Reporter
Shaw University
Brand Ambassador
Content Captain
Engagement Lead
Polls Captain
Campus Reporter
Paine College
Brand Ambassador
Content Captain
Engagement Lead
Polls Captain
Campus Reporter
Southwestern Christian
Brand Ambassador
Content Captain
Engagement Lead
Polls Captain
Campus Reporter
Bennett College
Brand Ambassador
Content Captain
Engagement Lead
Polls Captain
Campus Reporter
Virginia University of Lynchburg
Brand Ambassador
Content Captain
Engagement Lead
Polls Captain
Campus Reporter
American Baptist College
Brand Ambassador
Content Captain
Engagement Lead
Polls Captain
Campus Reporter
Pensole Lewis College
Brand Ambassador
Content Captain
Engagement Lead
Polls Captain
Campus Reporter
Community Impact
By The Numbers
Join The Movement
Your Academic Excellence Journey Starts Now
Join 19,800 students who are already part of Erika Dabney's Academic Excellence Ecosystem. Get free resources, attend live events, and connect with a network that believes in your success.