Caroline County native I’yana James (third from left) and her mother Toshia James (right) appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” on Monday. I’yana James, a senior at Virginia Tech, received a $20,000 scholarship.
When I’yana James arrived in New York City on Monday to appear on NBC’s “Today Show,” the Caroline County native and a senior at Virginia Tech thought she was only there to attend a 60th Birthday present for television personality Hoda Kotb, one of the hosts of the show.
But after the Virginia Tech-themed gift basket was displayed for Kotb, co-host Jenna Bush Hager announced a surprise.
Hager told James that because of her perseverance in completing her undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech, she would be awarded the first Hoda Kotb Scholarship.
The Virginia Tech mascot appeared with the $20,000 check in hand as James and her mother, Toshia James, looked on in shock.
“When they told me on camera (on Monday), they said, ‘We actually have a gift for you and Hoda,’ and I was like, ‘What’s going on?'” James said. “And then they handed me a gift, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is crazy.’ I’m extremely grateful and thankful, but it was completely unexpected.”
“Today Show” host Hoda Kotb hugs Caroline County native I’yana James after presenting her with a $20,000 scholarship during Monday’s episode.
Kotb graduated from Virginia Tech in 1986 and majored in broadcast journalism. James, a 2017 graduate of Caroline High School, is also studying communications and is concentrating in public relations.
When the producers of the “Today Show” were looking for a Virginia Tech student to present a gift to Kotb on behalf of the school, James’ adviser suggested she would be a good fit.
Like Kotb, she is the first college student in her family. James believed the pre-arranged interviews that aired Monday were part of a process in which producers would select someone to appear on the show and present Kotb with a gift.
“When this whole thing started, they wanted to hear my story,” James said. “They told me they were considering other students as well.”
James’ story revolved around a struggle with anxiety and depression, which led to her spending a lot of time away from school to focus on her mental health. James returned home to Caroline and then moved to Richmond with a roommate to learn more about herself.
“When I was going through depression and anxiety, I didn’t really know what it was,” James said. “But I knew I wasn’t feeling good. I had no motivation to do anything. I stopped going to class. My grades were going down the drain. I wasn’t feeling well mentally.”
James said her decision to leave school coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, making it an opportune time to focus on her well-being. Her mother, Toshia, worked two jobs to pay her tuition during her first attempt at Virginia Tech. But when James returned, she worked both in the school’s cafeteria and at a Sheetz supermarket to cover costs.
During the “Today Show” segment, it was mentioned that she is also part of a dance team and her grades have improved significantly since her return. James said that although the sabbatical changed her graduation schedule, it proved beneficial.
“I felt like being in (Richmond) gave me the opportunity to heal myself and learn more about myself and what I wanted to do and what direction I wanted to go in,” James said. “I started taking a few online courses while I was there and that gave me the encouragement and push to come back here and finish my degree.”
James initially studied animal and poultry science at Virginia Tech because she wanted to become a veterinarian, but switched to communications after returning to university.
After graduating in December, she plans to continue her education by taking American Sign Language courses. One of her goals is to become a sign language interpreter for a large company.
“I definitely think communications is more my thing, especially public relations,” James said. “It allows me to do things that I enjoy.”
James said appearing on the show was her mother and boyfriend’s first visit to New York, which added to the excitement. Upon returning home, she was inundated with congratulatory calls and messages from friends and family.
Kotb told James that she had a bright future ahead of her and demanded that she make a “pink finger promise” to see each other again.
“You’re going to do great things, incredible things,” Kotb said. “And when you do, will you come back and tell us about it?”
“I definitely will,” said James.
