News

For this budding leader and activist, the lesson that took years for him to learn and implement is not a cliché, but rather one he hopes to share with others. “If you want see a change for the better, you have to start with yourself,” said Derric Roberts, who graduated Dec. 16 from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a bachelor’s in mass communications. 

“I’ve matured a lot over the years as an undergraduate at SIUE,” said Roberts, the Chicago native. “I better understand the value of education, and the hard work that goes into realizing goals. I’ve also become a role model.” 

However, Roberts said because of challenges in his background and other personal issues, it took him a while to settle in at school. 

“My biological parents lived a drug-infested lifestyle throughout my life. Many times, my siblings and I would be left at home without any food to eat,” said Roberts. “This treatment, among other things, led to us being adopted by different family members. With everything in life, I had to work harder to get where I wanted to go.” 

Roberts’ grandfather, B.H. Roberts, adopted him and was a good influence on his grandson. Roberts came to SIUE in 2012, where his first year was especially difficult. 

“I was homesick. I didn’t know anyone,” he said. “Then I got involved in different activities, met people who helped motivate me, and I got acclimated to the campus.” 

Roberts is the outgoing president of the SIUE Black Student Union (BSU) and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., of which he is a past president, vice president and treasurer. Roberts also served as an SIUE Springboard to Success leader in summer 2017. 

“Derric enjoys working with people, and he does a good job in bringing large groups of people together,” said Howard Rambsy, PhD, professor in the Department of English Language and Literature and BSU advisor. 

However, Roberts’ college career was not without hardships. His grandfather died in 2014, and it was then that Roberts stopped studying and going to classes. 

“I lost hope,” Roberts said. “But Dr. Earleen Patterson (director of Student Opportunities for Academic Results – SOAR) told me that giving up was not an option. She said my grandfather sacrificed for me to grow up and to come to college, and it would be a slap in his face for me to quit.” 

“Some of Derric’s best qualities are that he is extremely energetic and relentless,” Rambsy said, “both of which prove vital for accomplishing so much.” 

Roberts plans to enter the College Student Personnel Administration graduate program at SIUE in 2018. 

“Being a student leader at Springboard gave me the opportunity to work with incoming freshmen, and help them transition from high school to college,” he said. “I remember how hard it was for me, and I want to make a positive impact on other college students.” 

To incoming freshmen, Roberts’s message is this: “Make your college experience the best one you can. Nobody can control your fate or destiny but you. No matter how hard you get knocked down, it’s about how many times you get back up that counts.” 

“SIUE is a place where you can have fun and grow,” he added, “not only as a student, but also as a person.”

Photo:
Derric Roberts graduated Dec. 16 with a bachelor’s in mass communications.