Student Spotlight - Vinsetta Covington
Name: Vinsetta Covington
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Classification: Graduating Senior
Major: Criminal Justice and Sociology
Why Kentucky State?
I chose Kentucky State University because, as a child growing up, my mom would always
tell me that I was going off to college away from Alabama. I didn’t understand at
first, but as I grew older, I adopted the idea. When the time came to apply to different
schools, my high school took the seniors to a scholarship fair downtown. All we needed
was our resumes, transcripts and ACT or SAT scores and we were offered scholarships
from different universities on the spot. Kentucky State offered me a scholarship and
I accepted it. What really made this University the place for me was when I came for
my campus visit/tour. The admissions representatives were friendly from the start
in welcoming my mother and I to the campus. To make things even better, my tour guides
included the current Mister KSU at the time, Ray Bankston, and track athlete Brittany
Leslie. The two made sure the campus felt like home from beginning to end, and that’s
what sealed the deal for me.
What is your major and why did you choose this area of study?
My majors are criminal justice and sociology. I chose criminal justice because I have
a desire to help and serve others. I want to use my degree to work for a governmental
agency. I chose sociology to help support my criminal justice endeavors in order to
study how people react and adapt to their environment surrounding them.
Who inspires you and why?
My mother, Belinda, and my childhood mentor from church, Mrs. Erica McKelvey, both
have and always do inspire me. Growing up, I watched my mother raise me alone and
work multiple jobs at a time in order to make sure her and I kept a roof over our
heads. No matter what things we went through, my mom always found a way to get back
on her feet, even if it meant tackling obstacles from a different angle each time.
She stayed strong and rarely ever let me see her cry in the midst of things, and for
that I knew I had to strive to be different than my environment and make sure that
she is one day taken care of like I was.
My mentor Mrs. McKelvey is an inspiration to me because, as child growing up in the church, I watched her take the youth in the church under her wing and nurture us with so much love. If we were ever in need of anything whether it be something to eat, a little change in our pockets, a cheerleader in the crowd for sporting events and/or programs, a shoulder to cry on, a person to vent to and everything beyond, she made sure to be there. If I had to count how many times Mrs. McKelvey pushed me to always exceed expectations and to strive for greater, I would lose count. In addition to the things Mrs. Mc Kelvey instilled in us in church, she inspired/inspires me simply because of the woman she was/is, being that she is, determined, a warrior/fierce, humble, intelligent, elegant, and loving. Of all things, because there is so much I could say, I would define her as the superwoman in my life!
What do you plan to do when you graduate?
When I graduate, I plan to explore the opportunities I will have in the military and/or
work in the field of my degree.
Words to live by: “Speak what you see until you see what you speak.”- MC Lyte
“Walk by faith and not by sight.” – The Word