AAMU Recruits Students at SoFi Stadium
Black College Expo Promotes AAMU, HBCUs to West Coast Students
Alabama A&M University recruiters offered on-site acceptance, scholarships, and waived application fees at the 2025 Black College Expo held at Hollywood Park Saturday. Part of Honda Battle of the Bands (HBOB) festivities, the event included more than 200 Colleges and Universities.
One of the first to receive on site acceptance was Kalum Holland from Lancaster, California. “It feels amazing,” said Holland. “I’m just thankful and I feel very, very blessed.”
“We are offering on the spot acceptance if they come with their transcripts,” said Rae McKinney, administrative assistant and tour coordinator with the Office of Admissions.
Kendra Richardson from San Diego, who arrived in AAMU gear, brought her daughter Kennedy Caesar and her niece Erryn Steward to the AAMU booth.
“My daughter Phoenix Caesar is a junior at AAMU and plays soccer for the Bulldogs,” said Richardson. “She loves it on The Hill!”
Her niece also received on-site acceptance. “I'm trying to learn what I can get out of the school and how it can help me develop as a person,” said Steward. “I’m thinking about majoring in criminal justice, and I'm really excited.”
AAMU Admissions Recruiter and MBA graduate student Danny Crawford said they worked to recruit as many students as possible. During the expo, Alabama A&M accepted 23 students, and met with hundreds more to share what AAMU has to offer.
“I can tell that LA is really trying to open up their eyes to HBCUs,” he said. “I’ve talked to more sophomores and juniors than I normally do, so I definitely can tell this is something they’re trying to expose their students to.”
For Kalum Hollands' mother, April Holland, AAMU has another connection.
“I have family in Birmingham and I told Kalum, ‘Let’s look at Alabama A&M.’ I know it’s in Huntsville, but that's just a hop, skip and a jump from Birmingham. Being an HBCU and coming from Southern California, I want him to have exposure to the Black experience and Black life on a scale that’s elevated,” she explained. “It’s an opportunity for him to see Black people doing well and experience Black culture at its height.”