Syracuse is Home to One of the 'Great 8'

A woman living and working in Central New York helped make national headlines this year. Eight African-American women graduated from their doctoral program at Indiana University at the same time. That has never happened in the university's history. They grabbed attention from coast to coast and were dubbed the 'Great 8.' Iris St. Meran introduces us to the woman who’s making a difference in Syracuse.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- By day, Juhanna Rogers is Director of Health Programs at Syracuse Community Connections.

"I oversee FACES, which does preventative and educational services for those in the community who are at risk for AIDS and HIV," Rogers said.

She also oversees Healthy Start, Healthy Family programs which cater to maternal and child health. When she isn't here, her work isn't over. For the past several years, she's been working on getting her Ph.D. in higher education from Indiana University; that's where she also received her master's degree.

"I got a job on campus working for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and I was good until I realized, as a woman of color, I wanted to do more, and a master’s degree was just the beginning," Rogers said.

Her journey in higher education began when she was an undergrad at Penn State.

"There were no women of color in administrative or in a professional capacity there,” she recalled, “I formed a really strong relationship with some other women there, and we became lifelong friends and we supported each other."

She created a similar type of network when she started her doctoral program at Indiana University. They called it the sister circle, and members of faculty were invited to be part of it.

"We learned to carpool together. Our kids played together; folks gave birth, kids started school," Rogers said of the close-knit group.

Earlier this year, ‘the sister circle’ realized eight of the women pursuing their Ph.D.s would be walking in May, even though they started at different times. That was a milestone at the school.

Rogers said IU didn't initially acknowledge their accomplishment, but word quickly got out and the women, dubbed ‘The Great 8,’ became social media sensations, gaining national attention, including from the White House. They even made it to Ebony Magazine's Power 100 List alongside the likes of actress Cecily Tyson, the late Gwen Ifill and Michael Jordan.

"I don't have words for it. I really, truly, honestly don't," said Rogers, trying to find the words to describe being a member of ‘The Great 8.’

Her academics and career align. She says she is able to be an advocate, while working on policies and developing strategies to help Syracuse overcome its various challenges.  She reflects on growing up in the inner city of Newark, N.J., and on her current work here, where poverty is a major issue. She hopes her journey will be an inspiration to others.

"You can be from this community and it doesn't determine where you're going to go," Rogers said.

Even though Rogers graduated in May, she will begin the process of defending her dissertation in January or February. Once that is complete, she will receive her doctorate.