By Charlene Balewa
Matthew Napier, J.D.
FAMU alumnus Matthew L. Napier has been named a new associate at the ROIG Law Firm in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Napier worked for the firm as a law clerk prior to joining the firm as an attorney. While in law school, Napier worked as a certified legal intern for the Nova Southeastern University Environmental and Land Use Law Clinic. He advocated protecting the environment and restoring sensitive areas such as the Florida Keys and the Florida Everglades. He also worked with different federal, state and local agencies that are involved with land use and environmental law. In addition, Napier worked for a bankruptcy and insolvency boutique law firm as a law clerk where he assisted the firm in managing hundreds of real-estate properties on behalf of the United States Bankruptcy Trustee. Napier earned his Bachelor of Science in 2008 and his Masters in Public Administration in 2009 from Florida A&M University as well as his Juris Doctorate in 2013 from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center.
Deidre Mathis
FAMU graduate Deidre Mathis received her Bachelors of Journalism in 2009 and has been busy making her mark in the world ever since. Mathis, a young world traveler, has seen more than 28 countries over five continents and has lived abroad in three of those countries. She hopes to inspire young people to gain global exposure and offers creative ways to travel on a budget in her first book, “Wanderlust: For the Young, Broke Professional.” Not only is Mathis a travel budget expert, she also is a well-known keynote speaker who has been featured in Black Enterprise Magazine and dubbed as USA Today’s Modern Woman.
Mathis has spoken at various colleges and universities including University of Texas at Arlington, Florida A&M University, Xavier University in Louisiana, and Baltimore Community College. She is a recurring budget travel expert guest on “Great Day Houston,” “First Coast Living,” and “WBTV-CBS” where she has discussed budget travel tips and shared her very inspirational story with morning show viewers.
Deidre’s personal mantra comes from Gandhi: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” She has a B.S. in Broadcast Journalism from Florida A&M University, a M.A. in Corporate Communications from Bowie State University and a Certificate in Tourism Destination Management from George Washington University.
When Deidre isn’t traveling the world, she is working on business plans to open and run her very own hostel.
Martez Prince, Ph.D.
Congratulations are in order for FAMU alumnus Martez Prince, Ph.D. as he celebrates the opening of his very own pharmacy located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prince received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2010 and is now the pharmacy director for Premier Pharmacy and Wellness Center, where he is dedicated to building innovative programs that effectively recruit and retain patients for the facility. Prince, a key developer in community outreach and branding, creates innovative ways to help his patients achieve their health goals through medication therapy management, education, and compliance. He is a member of the American Pharmacy Association, Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity Inc., and Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society. Among his many awards, he was the recipient of the 2009 Presidential Award from the Florida Pharmacy Association.
Shanley McCray
A 20
11 broadcast journalism major Shanley McCray recently published the book, “Words Every Professional Should Know: Helping Professionals Talk the Talk.” McCray has shown her passion for writing since starting at her grade school newspaper publication. However, it was at FAMU that she discovered her very own style of writing. McCray has held communications, marketing, and public relations positions with The Florida Chamber of Commerce, Webranx Intergrated Marketing, MarketDone Marketing, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company and more. After a few years of working post-undergrad, McCray decided the one thing that she could not learn from different jobs was true cultural diversification. In August 2013, McCray officially relocated to Shanghai, China to be a business English instructor. While living abroad, McCray was able to learn Mandarin as her second language. She dove into the Asian culture and learned things that she couldn’t be taught in the States. Since then, she has traveled all around the world visiting countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and more. McCray is a dedicated and diligent woman who strives at every moment to reach the next level. She is now living and working in Houston, Texas.