By Benny L. Smith

If you have a hard time going to sleep and listen to WPEG Power 98 FM between 2 and 6 a.m., the voice coming through your radio speakers may sound familiar. That's because Johnson C. Smith University Senior Ivory Barber, who goes by the name, Rock Da Mic Mizz Ivory, serves as the radio personality.

"It probably was a plus that I was a Smith student when I interviewed for the job because a lot of the broadcasters are JCSU graduates," Barber said during a recent interview. "I just said, 'Well I guess one more student from Johnson C. Smith University serving as part of your staff couldn't hurt."

Her personality, tact and academic performance at Smith helped make her one of a handful of JCSU seniors who have already landed a job in their major prior to completing a degree. Barber expects to graduate in December.

Before working with Power 98, she served as an intern with Radio Disney in Charlotte. She learned about the WPEG position after attending a CBS Radio career fair. Her experience at Radio Disney helped land her first radio broadcasting job at Power 98.

"When I am broadcasting, some people call the radio station just to talk while others want to request certain songs," she said. "I have an energy drink with me at all times," Barber said before laughing. "I love this job. I just learn something new every day."

Barber, 20, is from Long Island, N.Y. She heard about JCSU after seeing it listed inside an America's Black Colleges guide. She researched several colleges, but JCSU impressed her after learning of its Communications Department. She later applied and was accepted with a scholarship entering the Freshmen Summer Scholars Program. "It was just a great opportunity for me to get out New York," Barber said. JCSU has impressed the Barber family so much that Auntie Carolyn Golden and older cousin Robin Golden, who adopted her as a teenager, moved to Charlotte as well, to watch her succeed in life.

Although she likes broadcasting, Barber's dream job is to work the promotions department then become a program manager over a urban station. She believes JCSU has prepared her also to succeed in that path.

"Success to me means that you do not need to be perfect in order to be successful," she said. "Everyone cannot be a 4.0 student, but they can be successful in other things at the end of the day. I am not a 4.0 student, but I am a hardworking person both in and out of the classroom. JCSU and my family are providing me with those tools everyday on how I can make myself more successful."