BY [Pernell MITCHELL] The crowns of Mister and Miss Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University signify a proud lineage of HBCU royalty. But beyond laurels and legacies, Randall L. Griffin and Amberly R. Williams, FAMU’s 17th and 110th Mister and Miss Florida A&M University, have added to the crown bearers’ tradition of service. They’ve left a unique imprint on the FAMU community both locally, where they were involved in numerous student engagement activities, and nationally, where they added a community-service component to the University’s recruitment efforts. “In just about every city we visited, we wanted to do some type of community service,” said Griffin. “We wanted to leave the impact of our
A Reign of Service and Selflessness
University everywhere we went.” Among their most visible service initiatives was an event during the 2017 Florida Blue Florida Classic in Orlando. They partnered with Mister and Miss Bethune-Cookman University to launch a first-ofits-kind dual service project. The two groups, accompanied by student government leaders from both institutions, held a Day of Service at the Orlando Area Boys and Girls Club to assist with homework, provide motivational support and teach the value of an HBCU education. In fact, the pair made it their priority to strengthen FAMU’s presence in high schools in Tallahassee and surrounding areas. They wanted to make students aware that FAMU is
the place that can help them realize their dreams. “We took this initiative pretty seriously. We didn’t want to just smile and wave,” Williams said. “There are people in the community who have so much potential, they just need a spark to bring it out.” Griffin, a spring 2017 business administration graduate from Atlanta, and his royal escorts focused on empowering young men, and visited schools to mentor them. “I wanted to set an example of what it means to be a true gentleman,” he said. Williams, a biology/predentistry senior from Midway, Florida, also took members of her court to local schools to mentor young girls. Her efforts did not go unnoticed. EBONY Magazine
named her among the nation’s “Top 10” campus queens. “The essence of a queen is measured not by how she wears her crown, but by her voice, her actions and the impact she leaves on the community she serves,” said Williams, in an EBONY article. During the year, the duo also spent time spreading cheer to patients at the Heritage Healthcare Center in Tallahassee and participated in breast cancer awareness campaigns. Their efforts to focus on FAMU’s mission to empower citizens and communities illustrate what it really means to lead. “Service – that’s the true essence of being an ambassador of FAMU,” Griffin said.