The Carter Center for Academic Success and the Panther Academic Den (PAD) recently awarded the inaugural Bob Davis Academic Grit Award to Jaylyn Gray-Palmore, a rising senior majoring in Health and Human Performance, from Charlotte, NC.

Gray-Palmore is an outside linebacker for the Ferrum College football team and has been selected as a 2022 team captain. He earned 2021-22 ODAC All-Academic Team honors and has earned Dean’s List recognition. Gray-Palmore is also a member of Ferrum’s Brother4Brother peer mentor program.

Gray-Palmore is a 20-year cancer survivor. His positive and effervescent personality has led to teammates referring to him as a “hype guy”.  He shared that he has fully enjoyed his Ferrum experience. “Jaylan wants to be remembered as ‘a good, smiling person who shows love to everybody’. This young man is the embodiment of the true meaning of student-athlete,” said Director of the PAD Tom Steele.

The award, named in memory of Coach Bob Davis, was made possible through a memorial gift from the Davis family following Coach Davis’ passing in May of 2021. The father-in-law of former head football coach Rob Grande, Coach Davis was an assistant defensive coach for the Panthers. He also served student-athletes as an academic tutor in the PAD. Coach Davis was loved and appreciated by all students with whom he interacted.

Steele shared, “Bob was one-of-a-kind, just a really fine individual. He was one of the most intelligent individuals I’ve known and possessed a gift of helping students process information. He was a dear friend and is sorely missed by his students and by all of us in the PAD.”

The Bob Davis Academic Grit award is given to the Ferrum football player who made the most improvement in GPA. Gray-Palmore was selected for the award due to his consistent work with Coach Davis in the PAD, which led to improving his semester GPA from 2.15 to 3.60. Coach Davis always referred to Gray-Palmore as “Dean’s List Gray-Palmore” and was extremely proud of this young man.

Ferrum College congratulates Jaylyn Gray-Palmore and extends sincere appreciation to the family of Bob Davis for keeping Coach’s legacy alive.

7/7/2021

The following article was written by Director of Academic Outreach and Athletics Initiatives Tom Steele, who also directs the Ferrum Foundations program.

A group of Ferrum Foundations students.

Having a strong academic foundation is a cornerstone of success in college. The Ferrum Foundations program provides academic strategies that will ensure success at Ferrum College and beyond. Many first-year students come to college without the mindset and skill set required to transition from high school academics to the demands of the college-level classroom. Foundations helps bridge this academic gap. During the program, students learn academic strategies from successful upperclassmen, Ferrum professors, and staff members. The goal of Foundations is to make the transition to college life and academics less daunting.

Ferrum Foundations is a two-day experience. This year, students will arrive on August 16, 2021 to begin the program, which will take place August 17 and 18. Students will learn about developing relationships with professors and advisors, where to find academic success resources on campus, and how to employ strategies to reach their scholarly potential. The program is fast-paced, filled with useful information, and offers fun evening opportunities to round out the experience.

Rising senior Chelsea Zizzi ’22 participated in Foundations as a freshman and served as a peer mentor as a sophomore at Ferrum College. Chelsea shared, “I met some of my best friends through the Foundations program, who have been able to help me in both the academic world and the social world.” Making connections and developing success strategies are the focus of this two-day head start on success.

To learn more and to register for Ferrum Foundations, visit this webpage, which includes information about the program and an online application. For additional information, contact Tom Steele at tsteele@ferrum.edu.