WSSU nursing alumnus earns Lifetime Achievement Award at age 37
Winston-Salem State University nursing alumnus Dr. Clifton Kenon Jr. is no stranger to being a trailblazer. At age 33, he won the highest honor given to a nurse from the American Academy of Nursing. He became the youngest executive in foreign affairs in the United States government; and he was an inaugural fellow of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).
Now, at age 37, he is making history again by becoming the first male and first millennial to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from AWHONN.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is AWHONN’s most prestigious honor for those who have shown exemplary characteristics in the nursing care of women and newborns. This award is given to an AWHONN member whose accomplishments in the specialties of women’s health, obstetric and neonatal nursing and contributions to the association exemplify a commitment to excellence.
“Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at 37 is both humbling and monumental,” Kenon said. “It’s a recognition that goes beyond personal achievement – it reflects the power of representation, resilience and the community that has supported me.”
Kenon, who grew up in rural Rose Hill, N.C., currently serves as a ranking career member in the Office of the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He’s worked at USAID for more than a decade and leads strategic and transformational global initiatives that empower self-determination, dismantle barriers to opportunity and equip organizations and foreign affairs professionals to engage authentically on critical global issues.
He is a practicing community-based international board-certified lactation consultant. His past roles include senior health scientist for reproductive health at USAID and director of maternal child health at the Indian Health Service.
In addition to WSSU, he attended James Sprunt Community College, earned his master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his doctorate degree from Chatham University.
“Dr. Kenon is a pioneer and a visionary in women’s health and neonatal nursing and has contributed significantly toward improving practice through innovations in delivering nursing care, staff and patient education programs, and quality improvement initiatives,” said AWHONN President Cheryl Bellamy. “He is a formidable advocate for marginalized people and one of the strongest leaders I have ever met in the fight for equity. I am delighted to see him receive the recognition he deserves.”
Kenon said nursing is a profession that has taken him everywhere, from bedside care in rural America to policy rooms in global health, where he influences decision-making at the highest levels.
Growing up in rural America influenced Kenon to contribute to his field and advocate for equitable health care.
“I witnessed the harsh realities of healthcare inequity and the social determinants of health,” he said. “This firsthand experience instilled in me a deep understanding of the urgent need to address these disparities.”
“It is with tremendous honor and responsibility that I accept this award from the first professional organization I ever joined – AWHONN. As a rural American, the first male to receive this award, and as a nurse who in many ways has had a very non-traditional path, I am forever grateful to the profession of nursing, as it has been the profession that has made all my dreams come true.”
The road to lifetime achievement
Kenon’s extraordinary career in nursing began with a lifelong yearning for the field cultivated by teachers who were graduates of WSSU.
He knew he wanted to become a nurse when he was in the third grade. Having grown up with childhood asthma, he was influenced by healthcare professionals at a young age. His third- and fourth-grade teachers, as well as his high school English teacher and high school librarian, were WSSU alumni, so the path to Winston-Salem State was inevitable as they nurtured his dreams of becoming a nurse.
In 2009, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Dr. Leslee Battle, dean of WSSU’s School of Nursing, said Kenon’s dedication to his studies and passion for nursing were evident from the beginning.
After WSSU, Kenon went directly to graduate school and from there, he moved to the Dakotas region to take a position with the Indian Health Service, where he had an opportunity to work on a President Obama administration project.
“We did really well and won all of these awards, and we got to go to the White House,” Kenon said.
WSSU learned of his accolades and the nursing department invited him down to present him with an award. That’s when he learned of the university’s nurse alumni organization and eventually became president, revolutionizing its endeavors.
Kenon’s leadership legacy at WSSU
Kenon served seven years as president of the nurse alumni organization, culminating his term with the 70th anniversary celebration of the nursing program in 2023. He accomplished trailblazing strides during his tenure:
- Its account grew from $1,300 to nearly $300,000 for scholarships and operations.
- It commissioned a documentary about WSSU’s nursing program titled, “In the beginning.”
- For the first time, the organization was made up of a national audience due to changing the meetings from in-person to Zoom.
- The names of nursing awards were renamed after distinguished people and required sponsorships.
- The annual banquet was changed to an annual gala.
- The organization raised more than $100,000 in less than two years.
- The organization created an unrestricted faculty development grant of $2,500.
- The organization sought to endow its first fund, the Knight-Andrews Fund for Hardship.
“This would be different than a traditional scholarship in that this fund would bail students out if they came to a crossroads of managing their financial hardship or continuing school,” Kenon said of the hardship fund.
The organization has incrementally increased the amount of those grants from $500 to now up to $2,000, he said.
“A hundred percent of students that have ever applied for that grant have gotten their money within 48 hours with no red tape. And that was the goal. Because if you are locked out of your house or you’re in an abusive relationship or your car is broken down, you don’t have time to wait for the bureaucratic process to actually give credence to your situation,” he said.
The key to his success as president, he said, was bridging the gap between the nurses of every decade, honoring the university’s nursing history, and supporting students and faculty.
“Our nurse alumni organization is the envy of essentially every other HBCU because what we have is something that others can only dream of having. People travel to our homecoming from all over the country to be a part of our events,” he said.
“Dr. Kenon has maintained a strong connection with his alma mater through various initiatives,” Battle said. He is currently serving as chair of the Division of Nursing’s Advisory Board. He returns to serve every year during the week of homecoming when he has an opportunity to share his wealth of knowledge with currently enrolled students in nursing and health sciences as he participates in alumni events, offers guest lectures and mentors current students.
He’s also a lifetime member of the National Alumni Association, has served as an adjunct faculty member and on various university committees.
The power of an HBCU
“The educators in my life conveyed the message that an HBCU education was not only a path to personal success, but also a way to join a legacy of changemakers who have left an indelible mark on the world,” Kenon said. “Their influence, combined with the rich history of HBCUs, solidified my decision to attend Winston-Salem State University – a choice I’ve cherished every day since.”
He said he knew where he was supposed to be from the moment he arrived at orientation. He said he hasn’t missed a WSSU homecoming since he graduated despite living several hours away.
“As I learned about the extraordinary accomplishments of alumni and the history of the university, I realized I wasn’t just attending a school – I was joining a legacy,” Kenon said. “Every detail, from the culture on campus to the traditions, confirmed I had found a place that would not only educate me but shape me into the person I was destined to become.
“Attending an HBCU is not just about earning a degree – it’s about stepping into an experience that will transform you academically, socially and personally,” he said. “HBCUs foster a community that celebrates your individuality while challenging you to grow into the best version of yourself.”
Kenon said he encourages those considering an HBCU education to visit campuses, attend events like homecomings and talk to alumni.
“If you missed the opportunity to attend an HBCU as an undergraduate, consider them for graduate or terminal studies,” he said. “HBCUs are for everyone who seeks to be part of a community that values excellence, equity and service. These institutions have changed countless lives, including my own, and I am committed to ensuring their legacy endures for generations to come.”
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Pulse@ChathamU contributed to this story.
