AAMU Alumna Brings Event Expertise to Revive Homecoming Celebration

When Alabama A&M University’s Dusk 2 Dawn returns to The Hill this Homecoming, Alumna Cynthia Daniels will help transform a tradition she once enjoyed as a student into a new experience for fellow Bulldogs. Daniels, chief event strategist of Cynthia Daniels & Co., will serve as event curator for the all-night alumni pep rally and after-party. Dusk 2 Dawn returns Thursday, Oct. 15, at 10 p.m. at the AAMU Event Center, with the Renaissance Orchestra as featured entertainment.

“I’m looking forward to bringing back a nostalgic Homecoming event and creating new experiences for first-time attendees,” Daniels said.

And this will not be the Dusk 2 Dawn Daniels remembers from her student days at Elmore Gymnasium.

“This year’s event will be an elevated experience from the days of when it was hosted at the Elmore Gym,” she said. “We are transforming the Event Center into an alumni event featuring six party rooms, seven DJs and activations throughout the space.” Daniels recently took to Instagram to share her excitement about Dusk 2 Dawn’s return and gave alumni a glimpse of what to expect.

Daniels brings extensive event management experience to the Homecoming tradition. Through Cynthia Daniels & Co., she manages a team of 25 event coordinators responsible for executing more than 75 events for clients, including corporate functions, conferences, festivals, galas and social gatherings.

Her work encompasses event strategy and behind-the-scenes operations, including budgeting, staffing, vendor selection, venue build-outs, production logistics, marketing and public relations.

After establishing her business in Memphis, Tennessee, Daniels expanded into the Huntsville market in December 2023, where her company hosts five to 10 signature events annually.

Her connection to Alabama A&M, however, began long before her career in event planning.

Daniels earned a Bachelor of Science in behavioral sciences from AAMU in 2003 and a master’s degree in business management in 2006. As a student, she said Dusk 2 Dawn was one of the Homecoming traditions she and her friends anticipated each year.

“My friends and I looked forward to it every year and made a tradition of eating breakfast in the West Cafeteria after it ended,” Daniels recalled. “We loved meeting new people and learning the latest dancing in other cities from them.”

For Daniels, those connections were at the heart of what made Dusk 2 Dawn special.

“It was important to the Homecoming experience because it gave students an opportunity to connect with new friends and show school spirit every year,” she said.

The longtime tradition ended in 2009, making its return particularly meaningful for alumni who experienced Dusk 2 Dawn during their years on The Hill. Daniels believes reviving the event also offers something increasingly valuable in a technology-driven world: an opportunity to reconnect in person.

“I think it’s necessary to bring this event back in this day of technology,” she said. “It gives alumni a chance to reconnect and create new memories together in the future.”

For Daniels, being selected to curate the event brings her professional career and Bulldog experience together.

“As an alumna with an event planning business, it means that I get to pour back into a Homecoming tradition that was part of my Bulldog experience,” she said.

Daniels said Dusk 2 Dawn also provides another opportunity for alumni to support the University and future generations of Bulldogs.

“The return of Dusk 2 Dawn allows us to also fundraise for the school and give back to the next generation of students,” Daniels said. “It’s important that we continue pouring into this incredible legacy started by William Hooper Councill.”

For Dusk 2 Dawn tickets and a complete list of Homecoming 2026 events, visit AAMU Homecoming 2026.