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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Upward Bound students were encouraged to pursue promising career paths, while focusing on character development at two separate conferences, each targeted for males and females. 

On April 30, the SIUE East St. Louis Center’s Upward Bound Program hosted a Victory Young Men’s Empowerment Conference and a Flawless Young Ladies Conference. 

“The purpose of the conferences was to further equip, encourage and empower our young men and women for success in school, college, careers and life,” said Javonda Quinn, director of the ESLC’s Upward Bound EC and BEM programs. Upward Bound (UB) helps youth prepare for higher education. Participants receive instruction in literature, composition, mathematics and science on college campuses after school, on Saturdays and during the summer. UB serves students from the following high schools: East St. Louis and Cahokia (EC) and Brooklyn, East St. Louis Charter and Madison (BEM). 

“This was the second year for our Flawless Conference,” Quinn continued. “Last year’s meeting was such a success that we decided to host a Victory conference for our Upward Bound young men this year. We had a total of 150 people at both conferences. They were a great success.” 

Naeem Ahmad Whitaker, CEO of the Imani Learning Center and life insurance producer with American Income Life, was the keynote speaker for the first annual Victory conference. Whitaker challenged the young men to achieve their personal victory. Whitaker, of St. Louis, has a bachelor’s in business, and a master’s in management and leadership from Webster University. 

The Victory conference included a Career Journey forum, workshops and group panelists. Panelists on the Victory Career Journey included Steven Boyd, UB alum and technical support analyst with Century Link; Johnathan Tate, faculty associate with SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS); Darron Suggs, youth account manager/job developer at the Father Support Center; Barry Silva, client support technician with SIUE Informational Technology Services; and Untress Quinn, partner with Hinshaw & Culberton, LLP. 

A sample of workshop presenters at the Victory Conference included: 

• “Planning Your Career Victory” by Brian K. Stemmons, Tammy Bush-Hamilton and Tayana Long, of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice

• “The Coolness of an Educational Victory,” by Christopher Crumble, East St. Louis High School English teacher and UB English instructor

• “The Victory of Self,” by Halisi Muhammad, child therapist

Tandra Stewart-Clark, Southern Regional Clinical Coordinator with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, was the guest speaker for the Flawless Young Ladies Conference. 

“In this journey called life, you are provided with options and choices,” Stewart-Clark told the young women. “Take a good look at them and decide what kind of life you want to live. Put your choices into actions and start living.” 

The Flawless Conference also held a Career Journey forum, workshops and group panelists. Some of the Career Journey panelists included: Erica Becton, human resources generalist at Airport Terminal Services in St. Louis; Berakiah Boone, master’s in education and music specialist/educator with St. Louis Premier Academy; Regina Everett, and Jacqueline Kemp, PhD, astronomer and SIUE postdoctoral fellow. 

A sample of workshop presenters at the Flawless Conference included: 

• “Flawless Dreams,” by Regina Everett, Mary Kay consultant

• “Tainted Perceptions: Do You See What I See?” by Zorina Ann Brown, consultant, trainer and speaker

• “Faces of Activism,” by Lara Jennings, activist and UB counselor

Upward Bound parents also received instruction at the Victory and Flawless conferences. “I wanted to provide an opportunity to support the parents of the students we serve by providing them with an empowerment workshop that gave them helpful resources in supporting their children in education and in life,” said Quinn. 

Some parent presenters and their topics included:

Tandra Steward-Clark, clinical services coordinator with Illinois Southern Region, “How to Handle Difficult Situations”

 Connie Johnson, chief operating officer with #1 Fan Volunteer Agency, “How to Get You and Your Family Involved with Community Service Opportunities”

 Greg Tumlin, a Re-Entry care coordinator with Father Support Center, “Discover the Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse Among Youth and Learn How to Seek Help”

With a focus on empowering people and strengthening communities, the SIUE East St. Louis Center is dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals - from pre-school through adult - in the Metro East. Head Start/Early Head Start and a charter high school are among the programs that offer the community renewed hope and an opportunity to reach educational, career and life goals. The Center also assigns first priority to encouraging, supporting and improving the educational success of the residents of East St. Louis and surrounding urban communities. The Center provides comprehensive programs, services and training in the areas of education, health, social services and the arts.

Photos:

The SIUE Upward Bound Flawless Conference featured various workshops for young women.

The SIUE Upward Bound Victory Conference featured various workshops for young men.

Shown are a group of presenters from the SIUE Upward Bound Victory and Flawless conferences at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus.