Profile Piece on Tanisha Carter

By Kelsey Mejia

(RICHMOND, Va.) – Sept. 10, 2008- Tanisha Carter never thought that her D average in college and constant partying would lead her to success, but it did.

Carter, a Chesterfield County native, began her collegiate career at Norfolk’s Old Dominion University. Her first semester was so daunting that she could not even achieve a C average.

“My grades were so bad,” recalls Carter. “After my first semester, my parents said, ‘I don’t know what you’re doing down there, but you need to get it together.’ It was a wake-up call.”

Carter enrolled at ODU in the fall of 2004. She was a biology major, but was not focused on her academics in her first semester. In the spring of her freshman year, she made all As and Bs and she continued to the rest of her time at ODU.

The summer before her sophomore year, Carter began working a part-time announcer’s job at a Norfolk radio station. Her job included handling promotions for club events and advertising for local parties.

“I loved my job at the radio station,” said Carter. “I just knew that was what I wanted to do.”

Carter enjoyed her job at the station so much her priorities shifted and she changed her major to Mass Communications.

After a year at ODU’s school of Mass Communications, Carter wanted to enroll in a more comprehensive program.

“All of the Mass Comm. courses at ODU were taught by the same people,” said Carter. “I felt like I needed to transfer schools so that my degree would be more valuable.”

Carter contemplated transferring to nearby Norfolk State University, but since she always partied there, she thought she would do better academically at another school.

During her junior year at ODU Carter took a chance and applied for an internship closer to her home with Richmond radio station 106.5.

“I told myself if I got the job, I would definitely transfer to VCU [Virginia Commonwealth University],” said Carter. A bold move considering she would be entering her senior year in college when she transferred. That would mean another year of school on top already changing her major.

Carter got the job with 106.5. Although transferring to VCU put her a full year behind her expected graduation date, she is now more focused than ever.

Carter now expects to graduate in May. She lives at home and does not party much anymore. She can also see her 10-year-old brother more often and be a bigger part of his life.

Although she has lived in Chesterfield County her entire life, Carter plans to move after graduation.

Graduate school is in Carter’s after-graduation plans. When asked if she wants to stay local she just smiled. “My main goal is to move to a major city,” said Carter. “I really want to go to The Academy of Art University in San Francisco”.