BEAR MAKERS: Denikwa Shelby-James

The Morgan State Athletics Department will begin a new feature on morganstatebears.com that will highlight former student-athletes and their accomplishments in their professional careers and the impact they have made on their communities in their personal lives.

At Morgan State Athletics, we strive to arm our student-athletes with the skills to excel far beyond athletics. The Bear Makers series will provide Morgan State Athletics with the support and resources needed to position our student-athletes to succeed on a broader playing field of success.

---

Denikwa Shelby-James was a two-sport, four-year letterwinner on the Morgan State volleyball and women's basketball teams from 1989-93. During her junior season as a member of Morgan State's volleyball team, Shelby-James helped the Lady Bears make history in 1992, as the squad captured the program's first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship, following a 3-1 win over Florida A&M on Nov. 7, 1992.

On the basketball court, Shelby-James had her best season as a senior during the 1992-93 campaign, when she recorded 332 points, 160 rebounds, 38 steals and 45 assists in 28 games, all season-bests. The Dallas, Texas native finished third on the team in scoring (11.9) and rebounding (5.7) and was second in assists (1.6), while adding 1.3 steals per game in her final season to help Morgan State tie a then school record for Division I victories (16), which was first set during her freshman season.

Since graduating from Morgan State, Shelby-James earned a Masters degree in Sports Administration from Goucher College. She currently works as a teacher in Baltimore County and is the head varsity volleyball and basketball coach at Franklin High School.

Denikwa recently spoke to MorganStateBears.com about her time as a student-athlete at Morgan State and her present life living in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Q+A with Denikwa:

Q: What years did you attend Morgan State and what sport(s) did you play?
Shelby-James: I attended Morgan State from 1989-1994 and played volleyball and basketball.

Q: Why did you choose to attend MSU?
Shelby-James: I was offered a full scholarship to play basketball.

Q: What was your major at MSU and what year did you graduate?
Shelby-James: My major was physical education and I graduated in 1994.

Q: Have you obtained a higher level of education since graduating from MSU?
Shelby-James: Since leaving Morgan I received my Masters in Sports Administration at Goucher College.

D Shelby

Q: Where do you currently live and work?
Shelby-James: I currently live in Owings Mills, Maryland and I am a Baltimore County Public School Teacher.

Shelby

Q: Did you always know or predict that your career would be in your current profession?
Shelby-James: Yes because I love to work with children and I love sports.

Q: How did your time as a student and student-athlete at MSU prepare you for your career and life after college?
Shelby-James: My time at Morgan prepared me well as a student as well as a student-athlete. Morgan was a home away from home. Coming from Dallas, Texas, it was a little scary. But the coaches and teachers cared about you and made you feel loved. I always had a shoulder to cry on if needed.

Q: What personal or professional accomplishment(s) are you most proud of since you graduated from MSU?
Shelby-James: I'm proud to be a two-sport (volleyball and basketball) varsity head coach at Franklin High School.

Q: What is your best advice for current MSU student-athletes?
Shelby-James: Stay Focus. Don't take a minute for granted and your team is your family.

Q: What is your favorite memory from your time as a Bear?
Shelby-James: My favorite memory as a Bear was winning the first MEAC Volleyball Championship in 1992.

Q: Have the relationships you built among your team lasted beyond college?
Shelby-James: Yes. The relationships have built beyond college and continue to build.

Q: When was the last time you had been to campus? How has the campus changed?
Shelby-James: The last time being on campus was March 2020 when picking my youngest up who now attends Morgan. Morgan has changed tremendously with a lot of new beautiful renovations.

Q: What are some things you enjoy doing in your free time?
Shelby-James: Things I enjoy doing on my free time is spending time with my grand children.

Q: Are you still involved in athletics in some capacity?
Shelby-James: Yes, I attend volleyball and basketball games when available. I also participate in the alumni volleyball games.

Q: What motivates you to give back (volunteer, mentor, donate) to MSU Athletics?
Shelby-James: What motivates me to give back is seeing the athletes striving hard to continue the legacy of former athletes.

BEAR MAKERS
Lamar West
Mariama Gondo
Tiffany Rubin
Joe Wright

FOLLOW US IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more.
• Follow us on social media:
Facebook: /MorganStateBears
Twitter: @MorganStBears
Instagram: /MorganStateBears

ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 126 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.