The Making of a Public Scholar
I did not come into this work through a straight line. I came into it through school, work, setbacks, and paying attention to the things people are often told to just accept.
Growing up in Harlem and later navigating college, I saw how easily students can get overlooked by systems that are supposed to support them. That is a big part of why I care about education, digital equity, attention, and the way institutions make decisions.
I study sociology because I want to understand how those systems work. I build things because I do not just want to talk about the problems. Whether I am teaching, mentoring students, writing, or building a platform, I want the work to be useful to somebody besides me.
The First Walk
Changing a commencement tradition
In 2021, while I was a certificate seeking student at Valencia College, I learned that students completing certificate programs were not permitted to walk at commencement. For years, students who completed those programs received a printed certificate rather than being recognized on the graduation stage. That did not sit right with me.
At the time, I was navigating significant personal hardship while trying to remain in school and build a future for myself. I wrote to Valencia College President Kathleen Plinske to explain why the policy mattered, not only to me, but to certificate earning students whose work and achievement deserved to be publicly recognized. She responded, met with me after the holiday break, and followed through on that conversation.
In April 2022, I received Valencia’s Rompas Barras Award, which recognizes students who overcome barriers while continuing to succeed. During that recognition, President Plinske announced that, beginning in 2022, certificate earning students would be able to participate in commencement.
That spring, I became the first certificate earning student to walk across the Valencia College commencement stage under the new practice. The moment was deeply personal, but it also represented something larger: a student speaking up, an institution listening, and a tradition changing so future students could be fully recognized alongside their peers.
What It Means
I carry that experience with me because it shaped how I understand advocacy. Institutional change does not always begin with a formal title or a large campaign. Sometimes it begins when someone recognizes that a policy is unfair, finds the courage to say so, and encounters leaders willing to act.
Since then, my educational path has carried me from Valencia College to graduating summa cum laude from Florida A&M University, completing a Master of Public Administration at the University of Central Florida, and preparing for doctoral study in sociology. The same commitment remains, to turn lived experience into work that improves systems for the people who come after me.
Professional Trajectory
professional trajectory
Present
Adjunct Instructor
University of Central Florida
Instructor of record for SLS 1501, a first-year seminar focused on student success, academic engagement, and institutional navigation. Designed and delivered course instruction addressing college transition, time management, academic planning, and critical thinking skills.
Present
Knights Research Scholar Mentor
University of Central Florida
Led undergraduate research teams from project conception to completion, providing structured guidance on research questions, methodologies, and mixed methods studies. Named Knights Research Scholar Mentor of the Year 2025-2026.
Oct 2024 – Feb 2025
Career & Professional Development Program Assistant
Florida A&M University School of Law
Assisted in organizing legal workshops and events, coordinated communication between departments to streamline administrative processes.
May 2023 – Apr 2024
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Florida A&M University
Conducted literature reviews, assisted in data collection for experiments and surveys, and prepared reports summarizing research activities and results.
I've walked through storms they'll never understand and I'm not here to explain, impress, or apologize. I'm here to evolve, regardless of the noise.
— DELANTE CLARK
