PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (Dec. 19, 2024) – Prairie View A&M University junior Jaquavous Doucette is familiar with failure: college after college rejected his applications, even PVAMU, at first.
Now, Doucette has been recognized as a Rising Future Maker for his positive community impact. AT&T has named 25 students from Historically Black Colleges & Universities across the country as 2024 Rising Future Makers Showcase winners. Among them, PVAMU’s Doucette, a mass communications major, is expected to graduate in 2026.
It was his second time applying for the AT&T award. Always having aspired to attend an HBCU, Doucette followed other student leaders on social media, which is how he found out about AT&T’s award and was inspired to apply.
“After finding out I was named a Rising Future Maker, I was in awe,” Doucette said. “I literally froze for a couple of seconds. I applied before and didn’t get it, and after trying again, I finally got it.”
Doucette isn’t afraid to fail and doesn’t let failure stop him – because he is motivated by his faith. His grades and academic performance suffered when he transferred high schools from Orlando, Florida, to Fort Worth, Texas, during the middle of his junior year, experiencing a significant culture shock. Still, he didn’t give up, coming back to his favorite Bible verse: Jeremiah 29:11. “Just when you think things may not be going how they should, He will always have greater plans for you.”
Upon learning he was a Rising Future Maker, he said: “In it all, I found myself giving thanks to God for the opportunity.”
Doucette is not afraid to reach for new heights. In May, he ran for Prairie View City Council. When he didn’t get Mr. Freshman, he became Mr. Sophomore.
Doucette is the eldest son of a single mother and a first-generation college student — and a role model to his two little sisters, ages 8 and 5, whose parents never graduated from high school and were in and out of the justice system.
Every day, he shows them that it doesn’t matter where you come from; your life is what you make it.
Now, Doucette wants to give back to young men of color from underserved neighborhoods.
Growing up in low-income neighborhoods in West Orlando, Florida, surrounded by a village of family, friends, and neighbors, shaped his dream today: He aims to create a men’s mentorship nonprofit to provide that community for others. “Without my village, I would not be here now,” he said, thankful that others took the time to invest in him when he was a complete stranger.
Doucette is an active member of the PVAMU community as director of the Campus Activities Board and deputy chief of staff for the Student Government Association. “I am already paving my own path,” he said. “As a first-generation college student and student leader on campus, I am changing up my community and working to meet the needs of the total man.”
As a communications major with a concentration in politics, he hopes to go into political communications, a competitive field where networking, like the opportunities he meets through AT&T’s RFM, will be valuable beyond the $5,000 award.
“I felt as a student leader on campus, I have made my mark within PVAMU,” he said. “And now AT&T is allowing me to grow my brand and make my mark beyond the campus.”
Click here to view AT&T’s announcement.
By Christine Won
-PVAMU-
