GUYANA’S Nicola Ramdyhan is one of six student-athletes in Georgia from among the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), to be highlighted during the celebration of Black History Month. High above downtown Atlanta on Tuesday, Nicola Ramdyhan’s face could be seen all over the city’s skyline as streams of people rolled into the South’s largest city. “It’s so cool,” Ramdyhan said while looking up at the building. “I’m really excited. I’ve never seen myself on a building like this. It’s really a big deal.” Nicola, daughter of local tennis coach Shelly-Daly Ramdyhan, is on a Tennis scholarship at Clark Atlanta University (CAU), which competes within the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Division II.
Fittingly, Ramdyhan said she wants this honour to be something that others in her home country can reach for. reward

“It’s just a sight that I hope will encourage athletes back home, especially the younger tennis players, that there are a lot of opportunities out there,” she said. “You just have to believe in yourself and that you can achieve anything above and beyond. “Clark Atlanta has given me a whole lot of opportunities that I didn’t think were even existent before,” Ramdyhan said, adding that “it’s a pretty big deal”. According to Ramdyhan, the initiative is that of Georgia’s Own Credit Union, to highlight HBCU student-athletes. “One of Atlanta’s greatest resources is its HBCUs and we wanted to find a unique way to honour the people that make these institutions so vibrant during Black History Month,” said Dave Preter, president and CEO of Georgia’s Own Credit Union. Ramdyhan was also one of the two people, from the six athletes, to receive a $1 000 grant from the Credit Union.

The 23-year-old will wrap-up her four years at the University in May with a degree in Accounting and plans to pursue her Masters in the same field. Ramdyhan has been shining brightly during her time with the Panthers. The former St Joseph and Bishops’ High student has been on her University’s Dean List and has been a scholar athlete every semester since she stepped on campus. A member of Phi Kappa Phi honour fraternity, Ramdyhan is also a member of the CAU Isabella T. Jenkins Honours and Scholars Programme and has been an All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All Academic pick every year.

She was one of all eight members of the CAU tennis team who were last summer named to the 2020 Division II Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s All-Academic Team and who were named ITA Scholar Athletes. On the court she was the SIAC’s Freshman-of-the-Year in 2018 after going 14-4 in singles competition and was a key member of the Lady Panthers’ 2019 SIAC championship squad. Ramdyhan also finds time to volunteer her time teaching tennis basics to youngsters in Southwest Atlanta’s Healing Community Centre and serving as a VITA volunteer tax preparer in Atlanta’s West End community. And now, for at least one day, she is part of the Atlanta skyline on a building taller than any in Guyana.