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Area high school students showed up for various sessions that included an unvarnished, inspirational message about mental health, tips about campus life and academics, instruction on how to finance a college education and how to adopt coping skills through a pandemic, during the third annual Student-2-Student (S2S) Virtual Engagement Conference, hosted by the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s CORE T.E.A.M. (College Readiness: Transition, Engage, Achieve and Mentor) Department and Governors State University (GSU) south of Chicago. The two-day conference, “Staying Focused on Your Goals Amidst a Pandemic,” was held Friday-Saturday, Feb. 26-27. 

“The primary reason for holding the conference was to introduce high school students to the college experience,” said Karagan Romoser, a SIUE graduate student majoring in social work and one of the student hosts at the conference. 

“For many students, college can be scary because it seems foreign, especially for first-generation,” Romoser continued. “The overarching goal is to provide students resources and information, so they can feel confident about whatever decision they make after graduating high school.” 

“Specifically, students had the opportunity to get answers to their individual questions, which made the conference even more beneficial and relevant,” said Fatima Baydoun, an SIUE graduate student majoring in college student personnel administration.

Romoser, Baydoun and Aaron West, a GSU graduate student majoring in biology, planned and coordinated the conference. 

The event started with Erika J. Kendrick, a national speaker, mental health advocate, author and former NBA cheerleader, who gave a no-holds-bar personal account of her long, harrowing battle with mental health that included persistent thoughts of suicide. 

For Kendrick, who was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder with psychosis, her mental stability came after years of treatment, hard work, self-awareness and self-care. “It’s perfectly OK to not be OK,” she told the students. 

Kendrick offered 10 self-care tips that included:

• Develop a support squad to hold you accountable
• Utilize “therapying” to learn strategies to deal with stress
• Find your “happy place”

High school participants had the opportunity to interview SIUE and GSU student panelists about their experiences and lessons learned in college. 

“My freshman experience was a good one, and I learned a lot. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” said sophomore Christian McAfee, a biological sciences-medical technology major, who answered the question, “Describe your overall freshman year in college?” “SIUE is a fun campus. There were a lot of activities for us to participate in, even with the COVID restrictions that were in place.” 

Other panelists were SIUE students Justin Rosales, a junior biological sciences-medical technology major; Tyla Wells, a senior nursing major; and Gabrielle Wimes, a senior international studies and criminal justice major. GSU panelists included Shelly Asas, a senior business administration and marketing major; Rama Diab, a senior elementary education major; and Mark Tyler, a senior psychology, pre-physical therapy major. 

On the second day of the conference, participants interacted with actors, recording artists and social media influencers Tyler and Tristan Timmons, the Trvp Twinz. The duo, who star in a new teen HBO drama “Euphoria” and had a breakout role in the superhero film “Black Panther,” talked about their path into show business and how “To Really Value Positivity (TRVP).”   

Matthew Zarris, GSU assistant director of financial aid, discussed the importance of financial aid and the different types of aid available to make college affordable. Specifically, Zarris detailed the purpose, process and deadline for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

SIUE Counseling Services student interns LaNita Reives and Carla Lybarger presented, “Coping During a Pandemic.” Their advice included:

• Practice deep breathing techniques
• Do not isolate yourself
• Practice positive thinking 

The session concluded with a college alumni panel providing details on life after graduation. The panelists included: SIUE alumni Cameron Milon, Melody Peterson, Derric Roberts and Jazmine Rosales; and GSU alumni Fabie Ezife, Eman Samra, Justin Smith and Lester Van Moody.   

Gift cards to various restaurants and retailers were awarded in random drawings throughout the event. 

The SIUE CORE T.E.A.M. will host a high school speaker series focused on student engagement from Monday, March 22-Wednesday, March 31. Register at https://lnkd.in/gMN2BPk. The department is also accepting applications for the 2021 SIUE Summer Success Program.  

The SIUE CORE T.E.A.M. Department includes the SIUE Pre-Collegiate Program and the Summer Success Program. The Pre-Collegiate Program is a college preparatory program designed to assist high school students (grades 9-12) in their transition to post-secondary education upon high school graduation. The program offers engaging presentations and workshops on a variety of topics such as college financial planning, career and personality assessment, time-management, self-care, networking, test preparation and more. The Summer Success Program is a five-week program allowing students to take two college courses for free. While the Summer Success Program’s focus is academic, it involves a full range of social, cultural and recreational activities.  

Photos:
SIUE and GSU students talked to high schoolers about their college experience. Top row left to right: Shelly Asas, Tyla Wells, and Rama Diab. Bottom row left to right: Justin Rosales, Mark Tyler, Gabrielle Wimes and Christian McAfee.

Erika Kendrick, a national speaker, mental health advocate and former NBA cheerleader, was a featured speaker during SIUE’s Student-2-Student Conference. 

SIUE’s CORE T.E.A.M. (College Readiness: Transition, Engage, Achieve and Mentor) Department members include (L-R): Makesha Harris Lee, EdD, director; Karagan Romoser and Fatima Baydoun, graduate students; and Fannie Acoff, program coordinator.