Alpha Class Honoree

Chyrel E. Roseborough, affectionately known as Ms. Rose, is a proud native of Houston, Texas. She began her education in the Champaign, Illinois, Public School System, continued in the Dallas Public Schools, and graduated from Franklin D. Roosevelt High School. She pursued higher education at Jarvis Christian College before earning her Bachelor of Science degree from Paul Quinn College in 1997. Ms. Roseborough later continued her studies at Dallas Baptist University.

Ms. Roseborough retired from the Dallas Housing Authority (DHA) after over 26 years of dedicated service as the Education Coordinator. In this role, she worked with students across eight counties and approximately twelve school districts. Among her many accomplishments, she established the High School Counselors Luncheon, an annual event that brought together more than 130 counselors from public and private schools, along with three college presidents.

She also created and implemented four major scholarship programs:

• Opportunity Rising (formerly the Crystal Award) – for current high school graduates

• Ascend (formerly Phoenix) – for returning college students

• Summit (formerly Phoenix Rising) – for students returning to higher education after at least two years

• Aspire (formerly Link) – for students pursuing a GED

Through her leadership, more than 1,200 students received nearly $1.5 million in scholarships. These recipients have attended colleges and universities nationwide and gone on to successful careers in education, law, healthcare, the arts, business, entrepreneurship, and athletics. Sixteen of her students earned Black Caucus scholarships presented by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, and one student was selected as a Congressional Page in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Roseborough also implemented numerous programs designed to enhance self-esteem, leadership, and career readiness among youth and adults. These included CAPTS Enrichment Program, Think College Early, Table and Social Etiquette, Men in Demand (a male mentoring program), Sisters Helping Sisters (for young women), and Money Matters (for youth and adults).

Her dedication extended beyond the classroom. Ms. Roseborough organized college tours for over 430 students to visit 62 colleges and universities across eight states. She also created opportunities for students to meet authors through bookstore events and in-house book signings at DHA. Additionally, she coordinated more than 300 student internships, resulting in a total payout of $380,000, and partnered with the Dallas ISD Summer Food Program to ensure students in DHA’s 18 family housing developments had access to nutritious meals.

Before joining DHA, Ms. Roseborough served as the Coordinator of Student Development and Programs at Paul Quinn College. She oversaw all student organizations, social events, and activities under the guidance of Dr. Oliver Spencer, then Vice President of Student Affairs and retired NFL player. Together, they launched the First & Ten Program, which paired ten male college students with ten professional football players from Dallas and Houston who served as mentors.

Ms. Roseborough’s creative spirit and dedication to student engagement were evident in programs such as the Blue Butta Café, featuring poetry jams, jazz, and freestyle performances. She coordinated events like the Homecoming Pep Rally and the signature Funeral for the Opponent parade, which included dancers, cheerleaders, bands, and a ceremonial casket procession symbolizing school pride.

She also collaborated on the college’s Convocation Ceremony, honoring Paul Quinn’s founding with circuit-riding preachers on horseback, and hosted author and artist meet-and-greet events featuring notable guests such as Keith Boykins, Patti LaBelle, Isaac Hayes, and Brian McKnight. Ms. Roseborough further coordinated The President’s Reading Circle, hosted in the home of Dr. Lee Monroe, where twenty students met monthly for literary discussions.

A devoted member of Friendship-West Baptist Church, Ms. Roseborough serves as an associate minister and has held leadership roles as the Women’s Ministry Leader, Christian Education Ministry teacher, and member of the Pastoral Care Ministry. She volunteers with the Emmett J. Conrad Leadership Program and the Community Council of Greater Dallas. She is also a proud member of the Calvert Alumni Dallas Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the Paul Quinn College Alumni Association, where she served as president of the Dallas Chapter and established the Jesse Barbee Luncheon.

Throughout her career, Ms. Roseborough has served on numerous community boards and committees and has been recognized with multiple awards and honors for her service and leadership.

She is the proud mother of three children—Cherron Wilson, Cherrita, and Michael Roseborough II, and grandmother to two granddaughters, Chedrion Mica Estell Roseborough and Ciara Marshae Glover, who currently attends Paul Quinn College.

Ms. Roseborough lives by her life philosophy:

“If I can help somebody along life’s way, then my living would not be in vain.”