A spirit of determination, tenacity and progressiveness, coupled with a rich family legacy, has proven to be the keys to Darrius Valley’s educational triumph.
The Little Rock native received a bachelor of science degree in health and physical education during the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s 170th commencement ceremony in December. As part of his graduation regalia, he wore a prestigious cord representing TRiO Student Support Services.
SSS is a federally funded TRiO program designed to provide free academic support to college students. The mission of the TRiO Student Support Services program is to increase the retention and graduation rates of first-generation and low-income students, as well as students with disabilities who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees at UAPB, according to a news release.
“I am grateful for the UAPB family, colleagues, and all of the college students I have met throughout this journey. It was very successful. I’m looking forward to the next level,” Valley said.
In the fall of 2022, Valley arrived at UAPB as a nontraditional student who transferred from Shorter College in North Little Rock. He chose UAPB because he believed it would be the best university to obtain his four-year degree. The fact that two of his aunts had graduated from UAPB, one in education and the other in social work, also influenced his decision. The support and opportunities offered by UAPB were instrumental in his educational journey.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“I feel that I had to launch the legacy even further with my generation,” he said.
He visited the UAPB’s Admissions Office and expressed his interest in attending UAPB. With his high school transcript, Shorter College transcript, and an ink pen in hand, he applied to UAPB. He said that was a “quick process” to be admitted.
UAPB offered more diversity, a variety of programs, and opportunities for engagement with other students and instructors, he said.
“I could see that it was a broader and a bigger school. My school that I came from was a junior college even though it was an HBCU (Historically Black College and University),” Valley said.
In October 2022, another significant milestone occurred in Valley’s life. He got married at a local courthouse. In March 2023, he and his wife, Tamira, had a formal wedding ceremony with friends and family attending.
Valley said the entire process of completing his degree took around four and a half years. He describes his academic pathway as going “from one side of education to the other.” His pathway included majoring in Early Childhood Education and General Studies, seeking a teaching degree, and later obtaining a non-teaching degree.
His recent degree now provides the option to work in either the educational or recreational field. Valley currently works at a local Boys and Girls Club recreation center in Little Rock. He looks forward to growing his career with the goal of becoming part of a management team and coaching at a collegiate level, K-12 level, or elementary school level.
He is currently coaching in the Amateur Athletic Union. He has worked with teams that include the Nets and Arkansas Red Hawks. He said that he considers this opportunity to be a “stepping-stone to the coaching side with the youth and adults.”
CHALLENGES
There were a few challenges and sacrifices that came with being a nontraditional transfer student who also happened to be an older adult. He commuted four to five days a week at one point, balancing his academic pursuits with other responsibilities. When times got difficult, he leaned on the family’s educational legacy to push him forward.
Some challenges included mastering computers and the internet to create and turn in assignments versus his high school days when he did handwritten assignments in person in a classroom setting. He had to learn to use Microsoft Office Suite products such as Excel and PowerPoint and incorporate those documents into his homework and classwork.
Valley went to a local library off campus and did independent study on campus to learn how to use these products. He said today’s technology requires that one log into their account with a username and password instead of simply writing his name on the top of a sheet of paper, including the required written information, and giving it to the teacher right then and there. He expressed joy about the technological knowledge that he gained.
Coming from what he described as the “inner city” of Little Rock, Valley noted that many of his peers only completed high school. However, his parents, grandparents, and other mentors motivated him to further his education and obtain a degree. His grandparents, including David L. Valley Sr., Alma Valley, Elrene Finley, and Elijah Finley, played a significant role in his progress. Their support and the values instilled in him by his community were crucial in his educational journey.
“We believed a lot in the church. I come from the Church of God in Christ,” Valley said.
Pastors and preachers instilled a lot of value and character in him from when he was young to his present age.
“It took a village to raise a child. I can tell that from my parents and grandparents to the church family. I could listen, learn, and look farther and launch out to deeper grounds,” Valley said.
STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER
UAPB’s Student Success Center (SSC) helped Valley during his collegiate journey. During his junior year, SSC Academic Adviser Lakiesha McAfee saw something in Valley that he did not see in himself. She encouraged him to become part of the Peer Mentoring Program, which resulted in him being hired as a peer mentor. He attended workshops and seminars to learn more about how the program worked.
He was also given insight into what McAfee wanted to see instilled in UAPB and methods of incorporating student retention concepts.
“That was a great opportunity,” Valley said.
As he matriculated to his senior year, SSC Academic Advisor Michelle Crater-Grice continued providing guidance. She enlightened him on the available resources and suggested that he connect with key administrators on campus who could direct him on how to thrive in the education field.
He said that he used online templates to create a variety of presentations and vision boards that promoted the services of the SSC to attract more students to the program. In addition, he and a team would visit dorms to see if students needed help with homework or had concerns or comments that needed to be addressed.
“So, we were able to piggyback from what we learned from those first- and second-year students and bring it to the juniors and seniors and Student Success Center instructors and supervisors too,” Valley said.
The students also enlightened him about the numerous resources available at UAPB, such as counseling services, a health and wellness center, and a fitness center.
“At the fitness center, I could get some workout time in when I wasn’t studying. When times got stressful or if I had a hard day, I could go in there and do what I like to do. I spent a lot of time in the fitness center.”
How important are health, wellness, and physical education to Valley? The answer came from Mark Cooper, one of his instructors in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation at UAPB, who was also his former instructor at Shorter College.
“He told me in class one day that not only is your physical health important, your mental health is important…a lot of people might want to go into the fitness center, but they don’t know much about their mental health. So, I learned a lot of areas from the mental side, the physical side, the wellness side, disabilities, and different programs I was in and the courses I took at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff,” he said.
He feels that UAPB gave him what he describes as a “head start” and an opportunity to dive into a “collegiate level” of a holistic approach to helping the students he coaches and mentors throughout his community. Part of his journey was beneficial in helping him understand the physical side of his athleticism. The other part gave him insight into what his students may be experiencing mentally based on family history and local demographics.
When it comes to furthering one’s education, Valley advises that a person take the first steps to start the process of accomplishing this goal.
“I want to learn as much as I can, while I can, until I can. That’s where I am now.” Valley said.
For details on admissions, visit uapb.edu.