VGCC Students attend Male Mentoring Conference
Students and staff members involved in Vance-Granville Community College’s male mentoring program recently attended the 2014 statewide Minority Male Mentoring Conference. The conference, organized by the North Carolina Community College System in partnership with the University of North Carolina system, was held in March at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham.
The overall focus of the conference was on increasing student success among minority males through improving college graduation and retention rates, enhancing preparedness for the workforce and strengthening family and community involvement. The conference’s theme was “Reclaiming Student Success: Educate, Empower, Engage.”
VGCC’s delegation to the conference included four students: David Henry of Macon, Lynn Henderson of Henderson, Royston Brown, Jr. of Henderson and Walter Jefferson of Louisburg. They were accompanied by VGCC male mentoring program coordinator Dr. Tolokun Omokunde, counselor Reggie Bullock and Academic & Career Pathways advisor Anthony Pope.
“The conference was an enriching experience for all of us who attended,” said David Henry, a College Transfer student at VGCC who serves as president of the Male Mentoring club. “The conference was primarily aimed at minority students to encourage them to keep on striving for higher education and career goals. Students had a variety of seminars to attend throughout the day, ranging from dressing for success and better financial management to ‘real talk’ with district court judges and a town hall panel.” Henry noted that some of the most enriching and, at times, emotional moments were provided by the keynote speakers. “They gave their personal testimonies about where they came from and explained why education was essential to their success and how it will also be essential to our success,” he said. Keynote speakers included Kenston Griffin, founder and CEO of Dream Builders Communication; Reginald Bean, Director of Multi-Cultural Marketing with Coca-Cola; Dr. Nkrumah Lewis, an author, entrepreneur and social activist; Dr. Calvin Mackie, Managing Partner and co-founder of Channel ZerO Group LLC; Dr. Jeffrey Smith of Shaw University; and Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
Several from VGCC took leading roles in the conference themselves. Henry was the moderator for a session called “Dressing for Success: A Men’s Warehouse Perspective,” dealing with attire for job interviews and business meetings. Henderson moderated a panel on “Transitions: Navigating the Change from Community Colleges to Four-Year Institutions.” Omokunde presented “Restoring Minority Male Competency,” with Pope moderating. His presentation focused on repairing damages in the lives of minority males, and enabling them to focus on restoring the level of competency that their forefathers demonstrated in education and achievement. Omokunde was also the moderator for “Reclaiming Heritage: Cultivating Academic Development and Student Success Through Mentoring.”
Above: VGCC student David Henry of Macon (left, standing in foreground) speaks on behalf of the group from the college during the N.C. Minority Male Mentoring Conference. Others in the group include, from left, students Lynn Henderson of Henderson, Walter Jefferson of Louisburg and Royston Brown of Henderson, and advisor Anthony Pope. (photo by NC Community College System)
