With each passing year Wabash continues to expand and improve. The College continues to strive for excellence in every aspect of college life. One step towards that goal last year was the creation of an assistant director position in the Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies. The position was created last year with the retirement of Horace Turner, the previous MXI director.
The purpose of the position is to expand the range of activities of the MXI by allowing the work of the director to be divided and increased. Professor Tim Lake, recently hired Executive Director, will now be allowed to concentrate on expanding the academic and research components of the MXI. That leaves the assistant director with an important job.
Wabash College recently hired Amina McIntyre an Atlanta, Georgia, native. McIntyre received her Bachelors Degree in Anthropology from Colby College in Maine. Coincidentally, Colby College is also a private liberal arts college. She went on to receive her Master’s in African-American and African Diasporas.
McIntyre found the opening when she was job hunting at IU and had to go for it. "It was perfect for me," McIntyre said. "I’ve been preparing for it my whole life." McIntyre works closely with the students of the organization, essentially assuming the role of Horace Turner, a man she has a great deal of respect for.
"He is a legend," McIntyre said. She explained that ‘HT’ has been extremely helpful in helping her adjust to her new position, but at the same time allowing her to find her footing in the institute. McIntyre has had a bit of difficultly adjusting so quickly to the position, but only because of her desire to be there as much as possible for the students. "I want to be available as much as possible for the students," she said.
Even though she just entered her position, she already has many goals in mind for the Institute. A big goal of hers is to start a challenge program that would test the students of the Institute in the same manner as the College.
She also hopes to form some study groups to provide a support system for the students. Above all, however, she just wants to help as many students as possible.
"It can be very difficult for students of color at a college like this," McIntyre said. "I want to be there to help them however I can."
McIntyre has found everything about Wabash great. She is still trying to find her way around Crawfordsville with everything happening so fast.
"At first it was like a whirlwind," she said. Since she graduated from IU, she still has many friends around whom she visits when she gets time and she is quickly make friends across campus.
She recently bought a house in Crawfordsville, moving into the home is currently occupying most of her free time. Even with all that on her plate, she still finds time to take piano lessons with Wabash piano instructor Cheryl Everett.