WE OVER Me
Ade Owoseni (Brooklyn, NY) graduated in 2018 with his Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration: Management and is now an MBA Candidate at The Wharton School of Business. Ade previously worked in real estate private equity, spending two years at Crow Holdings Capital and three years at Avery Capital, a firm started by former NBA player and coach, Avery Johnson. Ade was also part of a startup accelerator, Impact Ventures, which helped develop startups led by underrepresented founders.
WORDS OF WISDOM: Focus more on how to add value than on what you can receive. The seeds you plant today will come back to feed you in ways you will never expect.
Alexya Soto (Oak Cliff, TX) graduated in 2021 with her Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration: Accounting and is now a Business Analyst in the Lowe’s Companies Inc. One Roof Media Network department. Through Paul Quinn, Alexya worked a remote summer internship with Lowe’s and was offered a full-time position in their finance and accounting rotational program upon graduation. Since then, she has been with Lowe’s for three years and has been promoted as a business operations analyst in the Media Network team. As part of the Media Network team, Alexya is part of a group that provides onsite (Lowe’s website) and offsite (Meta, Pinterest, Yahoo, YouTube) campaign ads that highlight goods and/or special offers pertaining to each of their vendors. Alexya is specifically in charge of providing weekly and monthly financial reporting and ensuring that the team’s financial goals are met.
WORDS OF WISDOM: The opportunities at Paul Quinn are endless and the best part is you’ll meet the most amazing people along the way that could potentially become a huge part of your story. The work program Paul Quinn offers will open the door to your career path and will help you flourish into becoming the best version of yourself. Take advantage of every opportunity, be open to new things, and more than anything, enjoy every moment!
Evelyna Rosario (Saint Paul, Minnesota ) graduated in 2020 with her Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration: Fundraising & Philanthropy and is now a Senior Associate for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at JPMorgan Chase. Evelyna is proud of her participation in a roundtable discussion with Jamie Dimon and other JPMorgan Chase C-Suite Executives about the impact of investing in Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
WORDS OF WISDOM: You need to believe that you are destined to be great, destined to succeed, that the rooms that you walk into are better off because of the space that you hold and the perspectives that you bring.
Kevin Kelley (Dallas, Texas) graduated in 2000 with his Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration and is now Owner of Kevin Kelley Concepts. Kevin is an attorney, entrepreneur, and restaurateur involved in the acquisition, ownership, and development of legal, food, beverage, and entertainment concepts, including commercial properties in Texas, Arkansas, Illinois, Washington, D.C. and North Carolina. Kevin Kelley Concepts consists of three hospitality brands and one law firm (Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, Club VIVO, KANVAS Sports + Social, and Kelley Law Firm,). Kevin owns and operates a Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley in Dallas, Texas, Chicago, Illinois, Washington, DC, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Within his restaurants, he has hired over 650 black and brown employees, remaining true to his position of preparing minorities for success in whichever field they choose to pursue. Kevin is also the owner and named partner of Kelley Law Firm, P.C. representing individuals internationally who have been seriously injured or lost a loved one due to the actions of others. Over the past 18 years, the Kelley Law Firm and predecessor firms owned by Kevin Kelley have recovered more than $500,000,000 for families suffering from injuries and wrongful deaths. Lastly, Club VIVO has been recognized as Dallas’ #1 Latin nightclub and is currently in negotiations to scale nationwide.
WORDS OF WISDOM: Everything matters, stay hungry.
Nuru Witherspoon (East St. Louis, Illinois) graduated in 1999 with his Bachelor of Science, Business and is now a Partner at The Witherspoon Law Group, a multi-state boutique law firm specializing in serious personal injury and wrongful death litigation. Nuru’s legal accomplishments include some of the largest recoveries in America, and his cases have been featured on CNN, ABC, CNBC, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and international media outlets. He has served as lead counsel on many high-profile cases and won millions for clients throughout his career. In 2019, The Witherspoon Law Group built a state-of-the-art Community Center to promote Black culture, heritage, and values through programs and services.
WORDS OF WISDOM: Paul Quinn College is a great place to learn more about yourself, and the rich heritage of our people, while enjoying unique experiences that will prepare you for the real world. Stay focused, stay inspired, and know that enrolling at Paul Quinn College means becoming part of a proud legacy of Quinnites who are shaping the future!
Ryan Abrams (Frisco, TX) graduated in 2018 with his Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration: Management and is now a Producer at Gallery Media Group and Director at Stable Pictures. He has helped create and manage content resulting in over one billion views on the main MrBeast social media channels.
WORDS OF WISDOM: Do and try as many things as possible. It’s a great way to find what you’re passionate about. It’s probably something you love so much that you’d do it for free. Fail early and often. Seek challenges. Most people can’t stomach it. Most people stop after falling down. Most people shield themselves from pain. Most people don’t understand that greatness takes time. Don’t be most people. Embrace failure. Your strongest days and growth are on the other side. I look forward to hearing about it.
Tiffany Burgess (Minneapolis, Minnesota) graduated in 2022 with her Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration: Entrepreneurship and now works in the creative marketing industry, directing and producing short-form media for artists and lifestyle brands. Tiffany shares the following: “I am very proud of the way I got involved in this business. I was a curious kid fresh out of college and decided to create opportunities on my own without waiting for permission from anyone else. Throughout this process, I’ve learned what it takes to manage a team, pitch my ideas to large companies, and organize a production set with zero experience”.
WORDS OF WISDOM: A piece of advice I’d like to tell future Quinnites is to spend your time in college trying new things. Stop working for money and learn as much as you can wherever you are. Everyplace you land, valuable skills can be gained. We are fortunate to live in a time where you don’t have to dedicate your entire life to a single career, and you can create a career out of your deepest desires. But once you choose something, pursue it relentlessly. Recommit yourself to it over and over again, and you will surely succeed.
Victoria Bryant (San Francisco, CA) graduated in 2019 with her Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration: Management and is now a Master of Public Affairs Candidate at Brown University Watson and recipient of the Institute MPA Full-Tuition Scholarship. Victoria previously worked in local government with the city and county of San Francisco as an analyst and community development professional. During her five-year tenure, she developed operational systems used to make informative policy decisions impacting underserved communities using dense datasets and transforming data using PowerBI. She also supported the municipality’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by serving as an equity officer during the early onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a liaison for the HOPE SF Initiative within the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and a program analyst on the community benefits team within the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. As a first-generation college student, Victoria was a member of College Track, San Francisco where she was honored with the Sophomore of the Year Award, Aim High Scholarship, and served as a Student Ambassador.
WORDS OF WISDOM: There is power in both identifying your gift in life and understanding how to effectively utilize that gift. There is even greater power in sharing that gift with others and lifting up your peers as you climb. Ground yourself in who you are as an individual, find ways to expand your knowledge and skills, seek friends and mentors who are in places you aspire to be, and the rest of your accomplishments will soon follow.
WE OVER Me
As a proud graduate of Paul Quinn College, you are part of a distinguished legacy of leaders, innovators, and changemakers. Our alumni community is a testament to the strength, resilience, and excellence that PQC instills in its students. Whether you are looking to reconnect with classmates, mentor current students, or stay informed about exciting events and opportunities, this platform is your gateway to staying engaged with the Paul Quinn family. Join us in celebrating our shared history and shaping the future of PQC!
Coach Keldrick McKinney is a native of Dallas, Texas who enters his third year as the Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach at Paul Quinn College. After serving one year as Associate Head Coach under the leadership of Coach Maurice West; Coach McKinney was given the opportunity by Paul Quinn’s legendary Athletic Director James “Zip” Summers.
The program has quickly grown from 3 to now 25 student athletes under the leadership of Coach McKinney. In the second year of competing at the Red River Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships, the Paul Quinn Tigers placed two athletes in the Top 10.
Coach McKinney received his bachelor’s in Kinesiology from Prairie View A&M University. After graduation he then opened a training facility where he trained hundreds of athletes. This provided the background and experience for Coach to thrive at the next level. Coach McKinney’s student-athletes not only excel on the track but also in the classroom as well. Coach McKinney’s team maintains over a 3.0 gpa.
Coach Michael Delgado has been coaching at the collegiate level since 2009. He began his coaching career at Howard Payne University, shortly after starting his time there as a collegiate soccer player. He began as a student coach and after graduating with a degree in Spanish Education, became an assistant.
In 2015, Coach Delgado moved back to Dallas to form the Men’s and Women’s Soccer program at Paul Quinn College as the assistant coach and became the head coach of the Women’s team in 2017. From 2015-2021 he was also the Men’s assistant coach.
In 2021, Coach Delgado took over the Men’s program and led the team as the #3 seed (highest in school history) to the USCAA National Championship for the 3rd year in a row, with a 3rd place finish.
Coach Delgado is a Dallas native and graduated from Mesquite Poteet High School as a district MVP & All-State. He holds his Master’s degree from Concordia University in Coaching & Athletic Administration. He resides in the campus neighborhood of Highland Hills and lives daily by his motto, #AlwaysRefuse2Lose.
Brandon Espinosa starts his fourth season as Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Paul Quinn College.
Last season, Coach Espinosa and the Tigers had a historic 19 game turnaround from the previous year going from 7-25 to 26-2 (12-2 RRAC). Coach Espinosa led the 2021-2022 Tigers to the school’s first USCAA Men’s Division I National Championship and the 3rd overall national championship in school history. The Tigers also won the Red River Athletic Conference West (RRAC) regular season title for the first time since joining the conference in 1998. The Tigers finished the 2021-2022 season with the most RRAC wins and highest winning percentage in a season in program history.
The Tigers were the No. 1 seed at USCAA Nationals and had a dominant showing with 3 double digits wins. The championship game featured seven ties and ten lead changes. After trailing by four at half, 38-34, Bryant & Stratton led 67-65 with 6:33 left in the game. Henry Hampton hit a jumper a minute later to give Paul Quinn the lead to highlight a 10-0 run to seal the victory for the Tigers. Ja’Mare Redus led PQC with 18 points while Hampton finished with 17. Spencer McElway added 12, Ja’Mere Redus came off the bench and scored 11, and Steven Tynes chipped in seven points and nine assists.
While the team’s collective efforts were the deciding factor in their success, several outstanding individuals led them both on and off the court. Coach Brandon Espinosa was recognized as the USCAA National Coach of the Year. In addition, senior forward Spencer McElway was selected as a USCAA 1st Team All American, USCAA All Tournament Team and RRAC 2nd Team All Conference. Sophomore forward Trevoin Shaw was voted USCAA 1st Team All American, USCAA All Tournament Team and RRAC 1st Team All Conference. Sophomore guard Ja’mare Redus received USCAA Tournament MVP as well as USCAA 2nd Team All American Honors. Sophomore guard Torron Mingo Jr. earned the USCAA Academic All American award. Junior guard Caleb Thompson received the RRAC Champions of Character award.
During his first season with Paul Quinn, Espinosa led the Tigers to the most conference victories since 2012-2013. In addition, PQC had two players receive RRAC All Conference honors; Spencer McElway was 1st Team All RRAC and Mateo Escheik received 2nd Team All RRAC honors. McElway also joined the schools 1000-point club.
Espinosa also serves as the Director of EYBL and 17U Head Coach for Drive Nation which was founded by former NBA All-Star Jermaine O’Neal. This summer Drive Nation qualified for the 2021 Nike Peach Jam and currently has the most ESPN Top 100 ranked players in the country.
Espinosa has held coaching positions at Bossier Parish Community College, Ranger College and with the Dallas Mavericks NBA G-League affiliate, Texas Legends.
Espinosa is a native of Houston, Texas. He played collegiately for Dallas Christian College, where in 2010 they won the ACCA National Championship. Espinosa earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2011.
Paul Quinn did not compete in 2020-2021 due to Covid-19.
Camille Smith is in her first season at Paul Quinn College.
Smith was hired in early March and her most recent position was as an Assistant Coach for the WNBA Dallas Wings.
Prior to coaching, Smith played professionally for 10 seasons internationally and 12 seasons in the WNBA before retiring in 2019. Smith was drafted to the San Antonio Silver Stars in the 2007 WNBA Draft as the 17th Overall pick. Amid the start of the 2008 WNBA season, Smith was selected in the Atlanta Dream dispersal draft before being traded to the Seattle Storm where Smith played and won a championship in 2010! In 2015 Smith was traded to the Connecticut Sun, then to the Phoenix Mercury in 2017, where she finished her career.
Internationally, Smith played on multiple teams in Israel (2015 Israel League Champion) and China. She also played in Turkey, Limassol, Cyrpus, Ragusa, Sicily (2016 Cup Champion), Lebanon (2017 Arab Cup Champion), Montpelier, France, and Venice, Italy (2018 Euro Cup runner-up).
As a former student-athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Camille graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in interpersonal communications. A four-time All-ACC selection, she finished her college career with over 1,700 points, 800 rebounds, 250 assists, and 250 steals. As a senior, Camille averaged 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game along with 99 steals to help the Tar Heels reach the Final Four. Camille is ranked among the top 20 all-time scorers at UNC and was named Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press following her junior year. She averaged 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds as a junior. As a sophomore, Camille averaged 13.3 points and 8.0 rebounds in the ACC tournament, including a 23-point game against Duke in the finals. In 2004, she was named ACC Rookie of the Year and was the only freshman selected as a finalist for Kodak All-American honor. Camille became the first Tar Heel to be named first-team All-ACC as a freshman.
In high school, Camille was named Associated Press NC Player of the Year and NC Miss Basketball (Class 3A; 2003). Camille was also awarded State Player of the Year by the Charlotte Observer and NC Gatorade Player of the Year (2002 and 2003). In 2001, Camille shared AP Player of the Year honors at Carver High School and helped her team finish with a 30-0 record and State Championship. Camille is a three-time All-State Selection and averaged 20.2 points and 11.1 rebounds per game during her senior year. She holds the record of 2,168 career points during her high school career, was a McDonald’s High School All-American, and played in the 2002 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival. Camille was also named Piedmont Triad All-Conference, four years in a row, and Piedmont Triad Conference Player of the Year, three years in a row.
Camille Smith & her husband Jeremis Smith are happily married & live in the Historical Stop 6 Community.
Coach Patrick Gonzalez is a native of Fort Worth, Texas. He has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology with emphasis in Criminal Justice from Texas Wesleyan University. He also has a M.Ed. in Sports Administration from Concordia University in Austin, Texas. He has coached volleyball for over thirteen years. He has coached on the high school, club, and collegiate level.
He currently coaches for 360 Volleyball Club in Arlington, Texas. Coach Gonzalez brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Paul Quinn College volleyball program. He served as the women’s assistant volleyball coach at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee for five seasons. While at Fisk University, Coach Gonzalez served as an Admissions Counselor and Director of International Student Services in the Office of Student Engagement. He has also worked at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and served as the Associate Director of Minority Outreach in the Office of Admissions. He most recently was selected into the Big XII Reach & Teach Volleyball Diversity Program.