AAMU to Welcome Newest Bulldogs to The Hill Saturday

Alabama A&M University alumnus and creative professional Craig James Mitchell will return to The Hill Saturday as the featured speaker for the Freshman Torch Lighting Convocation, set for 6 p.m. at the AAMU Event Center. Symbolizing the passing of Bulldog tradition from one generation to the next, the Torch Lighting ceremony welcomes the incoming Class of 2030 into a community shaped by more than 150 years of scholarship and service.

Mitchell will bring a fitting message to the occasion. Describing himself as a “cultural architect,” he leads CM Effect LLC, a voice-led creative agency whose work has contributed to projects for Roc Nation, the NBA, Harlem Globetrotters and AAMU’s “Love the Future” 150th Anniversary campaign. His work has also earned three Voice Arts nominations.

Alabama’s largest Historically Black College and University continues to attract students seeking an experience rooted in opportunity, culture and community. This year’s incoming class enters AAMU amid significant institutional momentum, supported by strong programs and outcomes. Nationally, AAMU ranks third among HBCUs in producing African American engineering graduates and is a leading producer of African American graduates in the biological sciences. The University is also a leading producer of African American educators, home to the nation’s only accredited forestry program at an HBCU and an internationally accredited AACSB business school. Together, these distinctions underscore the promise behind Alabama A&M’s mantra: Start Here, Go Anywhere.

As the newest Bulldogs begin their journey, Mitchell returns as an example of how the experiences and opportunities found on The Hill can shape lives and careers well beyond graduation. His own path began with an Alabama A&M experience that extended far beyond the classroom.

While a student at Alabama A&M, Mitchell was active in Student Government, M.A.N.U.P., University Theatre and became a member of the Gamma Phi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. He credits those experiences with building his foundation in leadership, teamwork, community and service.

On Saturday, Mitchell returns to The Hill to welcome the next generation of Bulldogs as they begin building their own Alabama A&M stories.