Alabama A &M’s Dawn Thornton: ‘I can transform right into another person’ utilizing style

In a fresh sector qualified “From Closet to Court,” Andscape spotlights NCAA ladies’s basketball instructors, discovering their game-day design options and the value behind them. Alabama A&M University’s head train Dawn Thornton, recognized for her striking design feeling as the “Queen Coach,” shares her journey from a harassed young people to a particular leader.
Maturing in Jackson, Mississippi, Thornton handled bugging concerning her look. Her confidence dipped throughout secondary school and her first years atAtlanta Metropolitan University Nonetheless, investing high quality time in her auntie Thelma Sanders’ store influenced her, allowing her to witness Black women transform using style. These experiences expanded Thornton’s idea in the worth of representation and self-regard, which she currently provides to her gamers.
” My girls being able to see me in various other aspects gives them confidence as they find out to accept themselves,” Thornton mentioned, highlighting the web link in between specific design and favorable self-image.
Thornton’s improvement right into the “Queen Train” was mostly impacted by Denise Taylor, her previous instructor atJackson State College Taylor, comprehended for her vibrant design options, served as a fine example, showcasing just how style can control regard on the sidelines. Thornton claimed on her recognition for Taylor, mentioning, “I wished to be similar to her.”
As Thornton progressed in her mentoring work, she fine-tuned her individual style. At initially, she had a look at design as just sticking to trends, currently she concentrates on clothing that highlight her appearance. “I’m really willful regarding what I put on,” she declared, highlighting her cumulative manage a stylist to generate cosmetically impactful looks.
Already, Alabama A&M holds an 8 – 9 basic paper and is attached for really initial in the Southwestern Athletic Meeting (SWAC) standings. After obtaining a program-high 21 success last duration, Thornton intends to lead the Bulldogs to their initial SWAC competitors title.
“Winning a championship calls for being unpleasant,” Thornton defined, recommending that the devotion to quality is the keystone of her training belief. In Episode 3 of “From Closet to Court,” she specifies on her specific advancement, her teamworks with local Black artists, and the goals for her team’s success.
Mia Berry, Andscape’s elderly HBCU writer, covers subjects varying from showing off tasks to trainee campaigning for, mirroring her diverse interest rate and solid connections to the HBCU location.









