VGCC Male Mentoring program holds Leadership training
Vance-Granville Community College’s Male Mentoring program recently held a “leadership summit” both for students involved in the program and for the “coaches,” the faculty and staff members who help advise and guide the students.
The guest speaker was Chavis Gash from Dream Builders Communication , a consulting and training firm headquartered in Charlotte. Gash presented two seminars during the meeting: “It’s all About Leadership: Time to Transition to the Next Level” and “Career & Networking Planning 101.” In the first session, he focused on different styles of leadership and the qualities of effective leaders. Gash emphasized that leaders must have a vision, and in the context of the mentoring program, coaches must envision “where the student wants to go, and then find out how to get there.” The second session included discussions of personality types and the importance of being prepared to network and to take advantage of opportunities for career advancement.
Gash related the topics of his presentation to his own experiences as a father, leader and student. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University, as well as two master’s degrees, and is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in behavioral health.
Supported by a grant from the N.C. Community College System’s Minority Male Mentoring Program (3MP), the mentoring initiative at VGCC supports the educational and professional aspirations of male students through an active, intensive, and engaging process of academic coaching and case management. The goals of the program are to keep participating students in school, to increase their graduation rate and to increase their rate of transferring to four-year colleges and universities. For more information on VGCC’s mentoring program , contact Dr. Tolokun Omokunde at (252) 738-3205 .
Above: Some of the participants in the leadership summit included, from left: VGCC Academic Skills Center coordinator Jason Snelling, counselor Reggie Bullock, students Jordan Bunting of Macon and David Henry of Macon, presenter Chavis Gash, students Lynn Henderson of Henderson, Harold Ragland of Oxford, Tyriek Branch of Henderson, Larry Thorpe of Oxford, and mentoring program coordinator Dr. Tolokun Omokunde. (VGCC photo)
