Story of Our Graduates

Congratulations to the May 2020 Graduating Senior Mr. Conan Escajeda!

Mr. Conan Escajeda is a native of California and a veteran. He came to Louisiana to attend Southern University in Fall 2015 as a transfer student.  With a cumulative GPA of 3.38, he is reaching his goal in getting a B.S. Degree in Urban Forestry Sciences in May 2020. He credits years of curse work and academic preparation at Southern University’s Urban Forestry and Natural Resources Program, plus two internships at Louisiana State University for his success.

Five years of college studies at SU and two internships at LSU helped him to gain experience in the arboriculture industry plus networking skills. The LSU EXPLORE internship (Experiential Professional Leadership Opportunities in Research and Extension) offered him opportunities to work at the LSU Burden research station and to develop a passion for the tree care industry. The SU-LSU learning experiences helped him to gain a great confidence in his abilities as an aspiring arborist and land him a job with the renowned Bartlett Tree Experts Company right after college. As a man of faith, Conan believes that God has pointed him toward a career path in urban forestry and arboriculture. 

Congratulations to the May 2020 Graduating Senior Mr. Tevin Hudson

Mr. Tevin Hudson is from the historic town of Fayette, Mississippi. In 2017, he obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture from Alcorn State University with a cumulative GPA of 3.04. During his time at Alcorn, Tevin has been part of numerous organizations including: Alcorn State University Sounds of Dy-NO-Mite Marching Band, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated (Delta Kappa Chapter), Future Farmers of America, Agriculture Business and Economics Club, and First Year Experience Student Orientation Leader. In 2017, Tevin was awarded Alcorn State University Senior of the Year. After graduating from Alcorn, he decided to further his education and attend Southern University A&M College to major in Urban Forestry/Natural Resources. Tevin has always maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher during his academic career at Southern. In the summer of 2019, Tevin received an internship offer from The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LDEQ has helped him gained valuable governmental and research experiences. During his internship experience, Tevin has assisted with air, water, and waste quality inspections, performed laboratory testing on collected water samples, prepared inspection reports for field inspectors and assisted with the collection and analysis of environmental samples. Tevin’s goal is to always leave a positive lasting impression and create connections with personnel people around the nation. The graduate has a strong passion for environmental research and working with underserved communities. The graduate’s goal is to become an Environmental Scientist for the United States Departmental of Agriculture. As time proceeds, he plans to pursue his Doctoral Degree in Higher Education Administration and become a Dean of Agriculture at a Historical Black College and University.

Congratulations to the May 2020 Graduating Senior Miss Asija Rice!

Miss Asija Rice is a native of New Orleans, LA. Majoring in Urban forestry, she will receive her diploma in May 2020. She has served as the President of Society of American Forester (SAF) Southern University Chapter, led the SAF membership drive, and organized a series of fundraising activities supporting the SU Chapter students to attend the SAF National Conventions. In 2019, she was awarded the SAF Diversity Scholar Award.

Asija served as the Parliamentarian of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) SU Chapter, Vice President of the Urban Forestry Club, Vice President of the Student Leadership and Engagement Council at SU, and a volunteer for the Big Buddy Mentor Program & Baton Roots in Baton Rouge. 

She has presented her research at conferences and won a research poster award. She is the recipient of the Rockefeller Scholarship, Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Scholar award, and Louisiana Forestry Foundation Scholarship.

Asija has done three internships and gained valuable governmental and research experiences at USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, LSU EXPLORE internship program, and LSU Hammond research station. She participated in Kansas State University KSRE Summer Research Fellowship program that led her to a decision to pursue an advanced degree in Kansas State University after graduating in May 2020.

Congratulations to the May 2020 Graduating Senior Mr. Joshua Tate!

Mr. Joshua Tate is a native of Memphis, TN. majoring in Urban forestry. He will receive his Master of Sciences degree in May 2020. Joshua previously received his Bachelor of Sciences degree in biology from Clark Atlanta University. He began his matriculation at Southern University and A&M College in the fall 2018 semester. Since then he has served as the President of the Urban Forestry and Natural Resources Graduate Students Association (UFORGA) Southern University Chapter. He also served as an assistant coach for the Southern University football team. He was a teacher’s assistant to his advisor Dr. Yaw Twumasi and orchestrated a few events such as the UFORGA headshot day for the graduate association. In 2019, the association was noticed and presented the Service and Achievement award during the Blue and Gold Student Awards and Recognition Banquet for outstanding service to the community and campus.

As a scholar, Joshua has publications including peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Advances in Remote Sensing, Journal of Geographic Information System, Atmospheric and Climate Sciences and International Journal of Geosciences. Joshua presented his research at the 2019 Louisiana Academy of Sciences at Southern University and A&M College and, also at the 2019 ARD National Symposium in Jacksonville, Florida. In the fall 2019, Joshua also presented a paper at the Society of American Foresters (SAF) National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. During the summer of 2019, Joshua completed an internship with one of the top-tier colleges of the environment at the University of Washington within their GIS/Remote Sensing department. Joshua has excelled in his coursework and research and he graduates with a 3.95 GPA. He plans to pursue PhD opportunities to continue his academic

endeavors in the near future after enhancing knowledge and working within the forestry field.