Dr. Frankie T. Jones, Sr., President and CEO of Phoenix One Enterprise and Phoenix One Farms, Inc., recently visited the TSU campus, to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new TSU/Rooms To Go Student Excellence Center. He was so impressed by the students and the campus, that when he left, he pledged to fund another Student Excellence Center for the new freshman dormitory set to open next month, create a five-year $12,500 scholarship for current and future Student Government Association Presidents, as well as help rehabilitate the Lanier East and Lanier West dormitories. Current SGA president Crystal Owens was on-hand to accept the initial SGA President scholarship.
“I live to share, and that’s exactly what I’m here to do,” Jones said of his donations.
Through Phoenix One Enterprise and Phoenix One Farms, Inc., Jones provides consulting services to a myriad of high profile corporations, institutions and nonprofit organizations including Rooms To Go, Inc. During his talk before the ribbon cutting of the new Student Excellence Center in the Nabrit Health Professions Practice and Simulation Complex, Jones emphasized to the audience of students that being a student would be one of the best times of their lives and that they should do everything possible to capitalize on this opportunity and part of their lives. He also stressed the importance of patronizing companies like Rooms To Go that recognizes the importance of giving back to the communities they serve.
“We have to reach the point in our lives wherein if companies don’t respect us we need to stop carrying our money to those companies,” said Jones. “But when companies respect us and our culture and our aspirations and our environment and our community then, they’re investing in us, likewise we should invest in them to help keep their doors open.”
On hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony were a throng of College of Pharmacy Health Science students; the University’s Ocean of Soul band drumline; TSU President Dr. John Rudley; Eva Pickens, TSU Vice President of University Advancement; College of Pharmacy Health Sciences Dean Edward Stemley; Miss TSU Channing Briggs; Mr. TSU Brian Eashmon; and a host of TSU faculty and staff members.
Following the ribbon cutting, students gathered in the new center to test out the furniture and met individually with Jones to talk and pose for photos. TSU Advancement staffers, who organized the initiative, accompanied Dr. Jones on a tour of campus before he departed.