An Unexpected Scholar

Dorene Bell, new GSU Honor College Inductee, on stage w/Stephen Favors and honors college student president Prentiss Smiley
Dorene Bell, new GSU Honor College Inductee, on stage with Dr. Steve Favors and honors college vice president Laterious Pouncy.

Dorene Bell was a hairstylist for 20 years, running “House of Styles,” her own beauty salon in Monroe. She regularly saw clients, and uplifted their spirits through her work. More recently, she traded it all and went back to college.

Bell, a Grambling State University junior with a 3.7 GPA, is president of the university’s history club and she is the club’s Miss Carter G Woodson. She’s also a new member of the Earl Lester Honors College.

The Earl Lester Honors College hosted its 27th induction ceremony on Thursday (October 20) in the Betty E. Smith Nursing Building auditorium. Bell was one of 36 new inductees who were pinned and took a pledge symbolizing their official membership.

The night was extra special for Bell. She went back to school at 38, and she’s a superwoman balancing rearing three children, 22, 16 and 11 as she works to earn a college degree.

“I wanted to provide and be an example for my kids so they would go to school. Eventually, I want to become a historian and I want to write and publish and travel and lecture,” said Bell, 41, a history major from Monroe, Louisiana.

Bell’s mother, Marietta Deal, 57, went back to school first. Bell followed her mother’s footsteps. Deal earned an associates degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix in December. Now Deal is working toward her bachelor’s degree at the University of Louisiana at Monroe with the goal of graduating in the spring.

Deal is extremely proud of herself, and her daughter.

“Where I was working they downsized and I lost my job so that let me know that I needed to do more for myself to take control of my life so I decided to go back to school and get my degree,” said Deal, a senior from Oakland, California.

Deal and Bell have faced struggles before college and while in college.

“My mom was 15 when she had me. We have gone through many family tragedies in the past three and a half years since the day we began this journey back to further our education,” said Bell. She said they have faced “death, lost jobs, divorce, everything bad that could possibly happen, it happened. But we never stopped.”

Bell couldn’t type and didn’t know much about computers when she started at GSU. Now she’s less than a year away from earning her degree.

“Being inducted means a lot,” she said. “It’s been a struggle. It’s been hard, but it’s very rewarding now that I’m actually able to see some of the fruits of the things and work that I’ve put in since I’ve been here. It’s an honor. I’m very excited about it.”

Bell and the other new inductees watched as previous honors college students donated $5,000 to establish the Dr. Joseph B. and Mrs. Lula Y. Johnson Endowed Scholarship. Honors college dean and GSU provost Ellen Smiley explained that the contribution matches $5,000 that former GSU President Johnson and his wife gave to create an endowed scholarship. “Over the years, the scholarship will grow and students that come to the university will be able to take it advantage of the interest that has come from the scholarship,” said Smiley, of Homer, Louisiana.

Smiley, the second dean of the honors college, has high hopes for her new inductees and she wants them to become “productive citizens” on campus, noting that honors college students have held positions such as student government association president, leaders of athletics groups and Miss Grambling State University.

“This is a way for the students to come together. They may not have the same major because we have such a diverse group, but they can come together on common ground,” added Smiley. “Through our seminars as we learn more about culture we always are trying to increase their knowledge.”

Smiley said the scholarship will help some students who have the smarts and not all the resources needed. “You can be the best student in the world if you don’t have the resources you won’t be able to succeed.”

Fall 2016 Honors College Induction Ceremony

Pictured (Slideshow):
Ellen D. Smiley, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs/ Dean of the Earl Lester Cole Honors College/Associate Professor of Education
Steve Favors, Professor of Education, Earl Lester Cole Honors College
La’Terious Pouncy, Vice President, Earl Lester Cole Honors College (Accounting major)
Prentiss Smiley, President, Earl Lester Cole Honors College (CIS and History 4+1 major)

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