Will Bradley
Sterling Dozier is no stranger to success. From his time in the Army Reserves to the numerous campus organizations he’s established in his short tenure at the University, Dozier’s leadership has proven exceptional.
“What I got from the military that has really helped me was a drive and motivation to want to go above and beyond to succeed,” the Baltimore, Maryland native said. “That has led me really far in my collegiate career, at least in helping me accomplish everything I have in my short time here at the University.”
In the Fall 2019 semester, Dozier, a junior majoring in finance and economics, founded the Black Business Student Association with the help of Dr. James King Jr., Culverhouse Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The goal of the Association, according to Dozier, is “to foster a sense of community for the over 700 Black students in the business school.”
“My freshman year, I went to Get On Board Day like everybody does. I was looking for organizations, but I really wasn’t sure what I was looking for,” Dozier said. “Something clicked in my head, and I realized I was looking for a Black organization in the business school.”
Dozier said he hopes the Black Business Student Association provides his fellow students with connections to resources, tutoring services and greater access to internships and jobs.
“Through establishing the Association and probing campus interest, we’ve found nothing but support from students, but also from faculty, staff and administrators,” he said. “Whenever someone hears about it, their eyes light up, and they ask, ‘How can I help?’
However, as the Culverhouse Business School and its student organizations such as Dozier’s grow, constraints within the current physical spaces have become apparent. Hewson Hall, slated to open in Fall 2021, will alleviate these cramped quarters, providing business students with 22 new classrooms, 31 team collaboration rooms and large conference rooms and gathering spaces.
“Right now, I can think of two, maybe three, spots you can sit down to work and study. They’re always overcrowded,” Dozier said of the current space in Alston Hall. “Hewson Hall will open doors for students to study together, collaborate and make some great things happen that might not be possible without the space. It’s going to make a positive impact.”
Dozier, who is set to graduate in May 2022, is busy exploring career paths, having already attended six national conferences, including those through Goldman-Sachs and Forbes.
Along with the addition of Hewson Hall, The Rising Tide Capital Campaign will enhance all areas of campus with best-in-industry technologies and better meeting spaces, making it possible for exceptional students like Dozier to continue to develop as leaders and scholars.
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