Attendees listen to keynote speaker Richard “TJ” Jennings at the Men of Color Summit held at Fresno City College on Nov. 14.

“Talking to more people has helped me get a clearer idea of what I want to do with my future,”

The State Center Community College District presented its 5th annual Men of Color Summit Nov. 14 at Fresno City College designed to address the decline in higher education enrollment and to show young men of color that they belong in college and can thrive to have impactful careers.

More than 300 local high school seniors and juniors from throughout the Central Valley attended the Men of Color Summit that encouraged them to choose a four-year institution or a community college that will advance them in life.

Richard “TJ” Jennings, head basketball coach at Reedley College, gave the keynote address after opening remarks by higher education leaders, including SCCCD Chancellor Carole Goldsmith, FCC President Denise Whisenhunt and Fresno State President Saul Jimenez-Sandoval. The three are members of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors which is made up of the CEOs of 28 institutions of higher education in the valley’s 10-county region.

After the inspirational speeches, the participants attended workshops that provided students with practical knowledge and skills they can use immediately in their college applications.

Each session was designed to present information to help students learn about higher education and successfully meet future academic goals with a variety of workshops topics ranging from discussing financial aid, careers in fire and EMT, and public safety in today’s society to name a few.

Aaron Sanchez, an 11th grader at Kerman high school, attended the men of color summit hoping to learn new things to help him decide his future and improve his social skills.

“Talking to more people has helped me get a clearer idea of what I want to do with my future,” Sanchez said. “School is a very social place, so being able to talk to people really helps.”

Angel Reyna, president of Madera Community College and also CVHEC board member, explained that the summit’s growth reflects the strength of the partnerships each campus maintains with unified school districts throughout the region.

“All of us have community relationships that make it easier to reach out and invite students to an event that uplifts our men of color and helps them see themselves in higher education,” Reyna said. “Through our partnerships, we’re able to pull more students here, and this year’s turnout shows the impact spreading across the Valley.”

The attendees received breakfast and lunch, provided by SCCCD and event T-shirts.

(Reprinted from a report published Dec. 5  in the Fresno City College student newspaper Rampage by student reporter Ryan Anderson and edited for the CVHEC newsletter).