Before arriving at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Jordan Lowe received advice he did not initially understand.
“Pine Bluff is what you make it. It’s easy to see all of the bad things that are wrong with Pine Bluff, but it’s harder to find the good. But when you find the good, it’s gold. I have found the good, and it definitely is gold,” Lowe said.
The Memphis native received his Bachelor of Science in administration and finance during UAPB’s 172nd commencement ceremony Dec. 13. He now plans to pursue a Master of Science in finance at the University of Arkansas. His future career path also includes corporate finance, investment analysis and certification with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Lowe’s story is one of endurance and of not giving up or rushing the process while traveling the pathway to academic success. His journey with UAPB began in fall 2019.
“Initially, I wasn’t going to come to college because I didn’t think that I could afford it,” Lowe said, adding that he considered joining the U.S. Navy. “I was here that fall 2019 semester and immediately transferred to the University of Memphis for that spring 2020. And that’s when covid hit.”
The global covid-19 pandemic forced instructors at colleges and universities across the nation to teach online. Lowe was negatively impacted by the virtual learning environment.
“I was one of those students. It affected me instantly. I’m a visual learner. I need my teacher there in person to break it down. And when I didn’t have that, my grades reflected that. So that semester, I think I earned like six credits out of the 15 that I was registered for,” Lowe said.
By fall 2020, he was hit with financial strain. The company he worked for was impacted by covid-19, and his pay was drastically reduced. This made it difficult to pay his tuition, rent, car note and insurance. He withdrew from the University of Memphis, took that semester off and began working elsewhere. But a work-related injury occurred, forcing him to rethink his overall plans.
“I was working from warehouse to warehouse. In that time frame, I worked at 12 warehouses. It was at one warehouse in particular where we had to move furniture, couches, and tires. It was overnight. I was doing two trailers by myself,” Lowe recalled.
After seriously hurting his ankle, he told his employer he needed to go home. The employer told him that if he went home, he would be fired, and suggested he take a 30-minute break.
“While I was in the trailer, I was thinking to myself. … I could make way more money with my brain than I would with my hands. So, that was my turning point. Do I need to go back to school and specialize in something?” Lowe asked himself.
He then applied to UAPB and Arkansas State University. UAPB accepted him, and he returned in fall 2021. While at the university, he completed four internships with DHL, FedEx, Tyson Foods and Walton Enterprises.
“That internship experience is what really set me apart,” Lowe said.
He also got involved with several UAPB organizations. He served as secretary, vice president and president of Black Male Achievers; president and vice president of the Investment Club; and president of the Accounting Club. He was a Student Government Association Senate member, representing the School of Business and Management. He also served as a residential assistant on campus and as treasurer of the Gamma Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
Without these organizations, he says he would not have become the man he is today.
In spring 2022, Lowe’s family was still feeling the economic effects of covid-19. When he was not living on campus, he lived with his mother. But changes occurred, and he had to find somewhere else to live that summer. He stayed with various friends located in different places that summer.
“I just thank God that my mentor let me stay with him that July. My mentor made me get a job, and the only place that I was hired was McDonald’s,” he said. “And I knew God was even in that moment of me hitting rock bottom because I went in to interview for just a line cook. In the middle of that interview, I was asked if I wanted to be a shift manager, which paid more.”
By fall 2022, Lowe was also dealing with both a financial aid appeal and an academic appeal, which he had to resolve in addition to paying a $6,800 tuition balance to register for classes the following semester.
“As I was waiting for the verdict of my academic and financial aid appeals, I spent my last $200 on a motel room (the one by the old Burger King on Blake) for a week’s stay. After that, I spent the following Monday through Thursday night sleeping in my friend’s car. I got approved for both appeals on Wednesday, but I had to resolve my $6,800 balance by Friday, which I did with a scholarship and I was able to move on campus. And God came through and approved both of those and got that $6,800 paid down so I could register for the next semester!” Lowe shared.
He worked at McDonald’s until 2023. His internship with Walton Enterprises then began, setting the trajectory for the next two years of his life. He said he began learning how to network in corporate settings.
Lowe then joined the Mentor Program through the Student Success Center. He discussed the important role mentoring plays in helping students succeed.
“Mentoring can make or break a student. And I say that because I’ve seen what guidance has done for me versus what I was like without guidance. My mom worked two or three jobs my whole life, so I barely saw my mom. The only guidance I had was the real world. When I got a mentor, I was more college-trained, more focused, made fewer mistakes, and I was able to take the wisdom and apply it, so it is instrumental,” Lowe said.
Lowe revealed that George Cotton, the UAPB vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement, was the first person on campus to give him hope and advice that kept him moving forward amid numerous seasons of adversity.
“Don’t let finances be the reason you don’t graduate,” Lowe recalled hearing from Cotton. “I can’t mention VC Cotton without mentioning Oscar Fuller (UAPB’s fiscal manager for Foundation Matters), who I know was tired of seeing me in his office, but his guidance and wise words were instrumental for my everyday motivation.”
Lowe credits his mother, Renata Lowe, for providing him with support. In addition, he praises Ray Walker, who has served as an advisor to the Gamma Sigma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., for over 10 years, and Lawrence Awopetu, interim dean of the School of Business & Management.
Prior to graduating, Lowe shared words of wisdom.
“I took a deep breath, wrote out my goals and what type of person I wanted to be, and made a plan. I put action behind that plan and kept my head down. Now that I have my head up, I’m right in front of the finish line,” he said.