How opportunity and mentorship helped this alum thrive and 'Grow Greater' at VSU.
Recent VSU graduate Tiquan Goode is a familiar face around VSU’s College of Agriculture and among youth in communities across Virginia. Goode grew up participating in 4-H programs and cites his 4-H Extension agent’s passion for working with youth as part of his inspiration to pursue his budding career in Extension work. Goode’s journey had a few twists and turns. However, his passion for youth development and community engagement remained his compass as he completed his undergrad degree, took his first job as an Extension agent, and now, as he begins his journey in postgraduate work.
Tiquan Goode did not set out to become a Trojan. Growing up just 45 minutes south of VSU, it felt too close to home to Goode, who started college in 2018 at George Mason University. However, George Mason turned out to be a poor fit for Goode, who says, “I didn’t feel a sense of belonging there, and had a rocky start.” Wanting to find a better place for himself, Goode moved back to Brunswick County and worked full-time for several years, while simultaneously putting his energy into various youth, family and community engagement projects. Goode’s passion for community development inspired him to consider enrolling at a different four-year institution, and by chance, he found his home at VSU. “I made an impromptu work trip to President Makola Abdullah’s office in January 2023,” Goode recalls. “The hospitality and familial reception he provided during my visit let me know I needed to make VSU my home on the Hill.”
With time, experience and interests informing Goode’s next steps, he chose the Family, Child and Community Development concentration within COA’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, which also provided the benefit of providing scholarship opportunities. “It was a perfect fit and a no-brainer,” says Goode. The College of Agriculture provided Goode with education, opportunity and mentorship that helped Goode thrive and “Grow Greater” during his time at VSU. After taking four years away from college, Goode was a little unsure of his ability to excel academically, but found that COA faculty supported his growth and the unique gifts he brought to his higher education pursuits. He is grateful particularly to Dr. Jada Brooks, who, “from day one, was there to answer any questions and serve as a listening ear,” and Youth Development Extension Associate Ms. Nicole Swinson, who mentored Goode and helped him step into a youth leadership role as Chapter President of MANRRS at VSU.
“The College of Agriculture served as fertile soil,” says Goode, who celebrates serving as a Cooperative Extension intern and MANRRS President as highlights of his time at VSU. “I had the room and support I needed to grow, and make an impact on my peers on campus, across the state and the country,” he says. After graduating this past spring, Goode served as a temporary 4-H Extension agent for three Virginia localities, a “full circle moment” that fulfilled an earlier career goal of serving as a 4-H agent. “I’ve worked with youth in Extension since I was 14,” says Goode. “The experience was second-nature, but new in the sense that I was the go-to person for over 100 youth, teens and adult volunteers.”
Goode recently began a new educational journey, beginning a MS/PhD program in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro. After earning his doctorate, he plans to continue serving in Extension as a specialist and professor at a Land-Grant institution. Tiquan Goode is grateful for his time at VSU’s COA, to the people he met who helped shape him and for everything he’s learned that has helped him in his journey. He cites creativity, resilience and critical consciousness as a few of his guiding values, which will undoubtedly serve him throughout his bright future.