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SZN Opener is back with a brand-new episode featuring North Carolina A&T’s Jordyn Dorsey. The HBCU student-athlete sat down with host Monica McNutt to reflect on her incredible journey on the basketball court and in the classroom.
Dorsey embodies a remarkable balance of athletic skill and academic excellence. The Augusta, Georgia native graduated from Cross Creek High School as valedictorian of her class. That same year, she led Cross Creek’s girls’ basketball team to their first-ever state championship. The Augusta Chronicle called Dorsey “the heart and soul” of the program.
While Dorsey prepares to lead the NC A&T Aggies in the upcoming season, she has already earned her diploma, graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology (Pre-med) in just three years. Now a senior, this HBCU All-American is pursuing her master’s degree while continuing to represent the NC A&T Aggies on the basketball court.
The first-team All-CAA athlete spoke about her approach to leadership, future goals, and how attending an HBCU set her up for success.
The greatest lesson Jordyn learned from the game
“Leadership, for sure. It brought me out of my shell (and taught me) how to deal with adversity. I think that’s for every athlete — you have to learn to adapt, maneuver, and keep pushing forward no matter what’s thrown at you.”
How family inspired Jordyn to strive for excellence
“I always try to aim to make my family proud and be a reflection of them … I’m thankful for how much my family poured into me and my dreams when I was that age, and even now.”
Jordyn’s leadership style as a team captain
“I was still trying to navigate how to use my voice. And that’s when I realized that building relationships with your teammates and that type of chemistry allows y’all to hold each other accountable without anyone taking it to the left … It was a lot of trial and error. I just wanted to make sure that they got the best version of me every day and whatever I could possibly do to make this season special.”
The strong foundation for success at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
“HBCUs are on the come-up. I believe that a lot of our African-American student-athletes are realizing that their talents can be displayed also at HBCUs. They have resources for you to develop your game and also have an academic career where you can graduate with different post-graduate certifications or master’s degrees as well. Whatever you think you can do at PWIs (predominantly white institutions) or a bigger school can also be done at HBCUs — and possibly more in your favor. I think everyone on the campus staff and faculty tried to cultivate the things that we need to be able to stand out when we get out there.”
Get the entire conversation. Watch this episode of SZN Opener above.