The spring 2021 George Floyd Memorial Foundation interns were Trey McNac, Tony Roberson, Christian Standifer, Warren Terry, Sir Charles Miles-Frost and Tyler Hicks.

Some of them spoke about what they gained through their internships and the impact they hope to have.

According to English education major Terry, they were introduced to the opportunity through their leadership organization, the African American Male Mentorship Program. They received an orientation and the purpose of the internship was explained to them. They then took time out to apply, with the help of advisors. 

Senior graphic design major Roberson was surprised when he learned that he received the internship. 

“I was shocked. Mostly because I was really trying to find an internship within my classification, not necessarily for class but more for future endeavors in my career and wanting to be a graphic designer,” Roberson said. “So when it came back that I was selected and would be able to show my talents on a national level I was pretty much in shock.”

Terry stated that for him, this opportunity was an eye-opening one, particularly given that they are the first to have this chance. 

“We’re a part of a very specific group, we’re the first group to have this opportunity. So, it’s a very good thing to know that we’re kind of the catalyst for helping bring about change in the university,” Terry said. 

For McNac, it was a thrill to be the start of a larger change. Not just for the university, but for the community, offering a chance to make a big impact in the world. Roberson stated that while part of the program is advocating for the black community, it also involves creating change to offer better representation for students at Texas A&M University-Commerce, a predominantly white institution.

“Six leaders are able to be a part of this and contribute in numerous ways with strategic planning, graphic design and manuscript writing and then also being able to step outside of our comfort zone and create a stand for George Floyd and his name and his family,” Roberson said.

For sophomore and public health major Standifer, the internship has been an unexpected avenue for him.

“I never thought that I would be fighting and being an advocate for social change within our communities,”  Standifer said. “Seeing that my major and background is not even criminal justice or law or anything like that, so it’s opening new experiences for me personally.” 

Senior and finance major Miles-Frost stated that bringing this to light offers a chance to change the narrative of how black male students are seen on campus, that what is highlighted and publicized is sports. 

“We’re really only shown in sports, we’re not shown doing other things and I feel like we really do more on campus than they give us credit for or what they show that we do,” Miles-Frost said. 

For Standifer, a great part of the internship experience has been their weekly speaker series, particularly one where the speaker was able to help him with aspects of his own life. Roberson was able to work with one speaker, Danielle S. Reed to design her logo. As a part of their internship, they have also been working with committees that will be a part of the George Floyd march, marking the one year anniversary of Floyd’s death, designing shirts and establishing the scenery of the environment. They were also able to meet with Bridgett Floyd, George Floyd’s sister. 

In terms of how they’ve set the bar as the first people to be a part of the internship, they feel it’s pretty high. But, it is not impossible. 

“ I don’t necessarily want any student to be intimidated that comes behind me, but I also want to be a resource to them and help them to be able to understand that you can do this,” Standifer said. “Like,  this isn’t something that is impossible, this is not an impossible goal.”