“It’s an absolute blessing to be a recipient of scholarships and funds from Charter Day and people from the community,” said Ronald Whitmore, a sophomore psychology major minoring in human development. Howard University celebrates its founding with Charter Day activities beginning on February 28, culminating with the annual Charter Day Dinner on March 1. The dinner raises funds for scholarships — made possible by alumni and others within the Howard community who support its mission — to support current students like Whitmore.

“It’s a testament of the faith they have in us, even though they might not know us, faith that we will continue on our education and change the world,” said Whitmore, reflecting on what it means for those who came before him to be invested in the futures of the students who now walk the halls (and yard) of the University. 

“The funding I’ve received has really helped me focus; I’ve been able to cultivate research and really expound on what I want to do in the future.” 

Not having to worry about the financial aspects of pursuing his education, Whitmore is able to focus more fully on his classwork and the future. “I want to go on to Graduate School and ultimately become a clinical psychologist,” said Whitmore who plans to obtain a Doctor of Psychology degree. “The funding I’ve received has really helped me focus; I’ve been able to cultivate research and really expound on what I want to do in the future.”

Whitmore says he aspires to be a leader within his community, helping young men and women of color develop healthy habits to deal with the stressors of life. In other words, he wants to focus on the mental health needs of those in “Black and Brown communities.” 

Especially interested in how cultural differences and environment play a role in human development and mental health, Whitmore is also intrigued by the neurological side of the equation.  

“I am interested investigating racial disparities and how neurological and environmental factors contribute to misdiagnosis in those communities,” he said. “In addition, I want to explore culturally competent therapy techniques for effective treatment.”

Enrolled in courses like statistics, intro to clinical psychology, and family culture, Whitmore is hitting the books inside and outside of the classroom to prepare for his future career. “Currently, I am reviewing the DSM5-TR; that is the psychological manual that classifies mental disorders. I am also reading books and reviewing articles that talk about race and culture within the aspect of mental health disorders.” 

In addition to his studies, Whitmore is very active in campus life, serving as ambassador for the College of Arts & Sciences, as well as a member of Howard’s Royal Court as Mister Resident Life. Initially he joined for a sense of community. 

“I’m from Tennessee and so coming to Howard, I was like ‘How am I going to make a family and have friends?’ And so, the first thing I did was join the Residence Life Royal Court.” Today, much of his campus experience involves serving his fellow students, acting as an ambassador for Howard, and a resource for those seeking to connect within resident life.

“Last year, I served as Mr. College Hall South, representing my dorm and being a liaison and a leader within College Hall South. Now I serve as Mr. Resident Life,” he said of his role within the Royal Court. “We go and speak to people about what it means to be a part of resident life and work to implement change for our community.”  

As a part of the College of Arts and Sciences flagship ambassador program, Whitmore is preparing for a study abroad trip to Europe where he and his classmates will visit Paris, France, and London, England. While there, they’ll be studying the cultural differences between Europe and the United States. 

“It’s an English 890 class and we’re learning about the Black experience in Europe,” he explained. “When we come back from the trip after spring break, we’ll have to write or compose a video presentation about what we learned about the cultural differences from the U.S. to Europe.” Excited to experience the surface level and deeper differences among the cultures by “just talking to people and being a listener; looking at how people interact,” Whitmore believes this trip will further his psychology research.

“That’s really going to further my research for psychology, too, because as a psychologist you don’t want to be just in one lane. You must be culturally competent and understand that people come from different traditions and different backgrounds. And so, for me, going to Europe, I'll have a little bit of understanding of how they live and what they do; it’ll help me become more culturally competent.” 

When asked what has most impacted his journey thus far as a student at Howard University, the Achiever’s Scholarship recipient gave a simple answer: his professors. 

“The number of professors I’ve had, their teachings, and the opportunities that they give us — that’s made an impact and been really beneficial to me.”