Webinars

Monday

September 20, 2021

1:00 pm EST

1st Generation Student Experiences: Mentoring Practices & Motivations

Presented by Ignacio Ferrey, Nilpa Shah, Eli Cruz

The purpose of this stimulating webinar is to hear personal, academic and professional experiences of two mentees and their mentor, a practitioner in the Public Health and Education fields. As first-generation college students, mentoring contributed to a stronger sense identity, vision for the future, and guidance on how to approach what’s next. As students of color, each faced his/her own challenges, successes, along with doubts of what “success” means in academia the important role of family, and navigating layers of uncertainty. Group sharing and active participation will be encouraged!

Ignacio Ferrey is a certified professional coach and social justice advocate committed to eliminating health, educational and economic disparities in communities of color, Ignacio has over 20 years experience in health, education, youth/leadership development, and father and family services. He is the Associate Director, Health Access at Alameda County Center for Healthy Schools and Communities. Ignacio completed the Leadership That Works’ Coaching for Transformation program. He started Water & Fire Coaching as a symbol and reflection of the elements within us that can transform the world around us. Ignacio is first in his family to attend a university and completed his B.A. in Sociology from San Jose State University, then Master in Public Health (MPH) and M.A. in Latin American Studies from University of California. Los Angeles (UCLA). Ignacio was born and raised in San Francisco, CA and his family immigrated from Nicaragua (Central America).

Eli Cruz is a first generation graduate who emigrated from Honduras in 2006. He received is B.S. in Nutrition Science from the University of California, Davis in 2020 and is currently planning on furthering his education by pursuing a master’s degree. Currently, Eli works as a Sobering Specialist for Horizon Services, a non-profit drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Alameda County. Eli has been serving Alameda County for over 6 years, as a certified Emergency Medical Technician, and health Coach and a Health Technician. He continues to provide his services to those individuals who seek a sober living environment and hope to be of impact to them.

Nilpa Shah has a Master of Public Health from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (FSPH) and Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cell Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Davis. Nilpa is a first generation graduate who was born and raised in India and came to the US in 2007. As an emerging public health leader, Nilpa is involved as a mentor and mentee in various mentorship program, namely the UCLA FSPH Mentor Program, Public Health Leaders of Tomorrow, UCLA Public Health Scholars. Prior to coming to UCLA Nilpa worked as a Project Manager at UC Davis Health. She now works as a Project Manager at UCLA. She is motivated to collaborate with other like-minded professionals to improve healthcare inequity, to create synergy to protect the health of communities, and to promote healthy lifestyles for families that lack healthcare resources

Thursday

October 28, 2021

7:00 pm EST

Mentorship and Community Amongst Scholars of Color Pursuing a Terminal Degree

Presented by Loriann Bell, Eric McCloud, Michelle Hall, and Nesreen Najm

The webinar will explore the personal narratives of four students of color enrolled in a terminal degree program at a predominantly white institution (PWI). The participants will discuss how their relationships, both formal (mentorship) and informal (community) affected their educational experiences. Finding a place in a campus community involves developing a social support network to maintaining someone’s own cultural identity. Learn about how critical an environment that involves mentoring can make a difference to these students and many others seeking degrees!

A native Detroiter, Loriann Bell received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Michigan State University, completing her Teacher Certification coursework at the University of Detroit Mercy. Ms. Bell received her Master of Arts in Education, with an emphasis in Middle Grade Mathematics from the University of Michigan Dearborn. Ms. Bell is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan Dearborn, pursuing a Doctorate in Education, with an emphasis in Educational Leadership. She posesses a professional teaching certificate for grades K-8 in English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as an Administrator’s Certificate with a Central Office endorsement. Ms. Bell’s research interests include: Effective Leadership Models; Organizational Development; Professional Learning Communities–building teacher leadership capacity. Although her career in education spans 30 years, since March of 2015 she has been committed to improving student achievement in the Pontiac School District. Ms. Bell is responsible for providing curricular oversight for Literacy and Social Studies in grades K-12. This is inclusive of instruction, assessment and professional learning for teachers and building leaders

Eric R. McCloud is a doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, with a concentration in Metropolitan Education. His area of research focuses specifically on diversity and inclusion, mentorship, adult education and ecological systems theory.

Michelle Hall is an elementary school principal at Detroit Public Schools Community District with 20-years’ experience as an educator. She is a fifth year doctoral student who believes in giving her best in every situation and to every person she encounters in her personal and professional life. Outside of work she enjoys being with her family and singing.

Nesreen Najm completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education at Wayne State University and her Master of Arts in Education with an English as a Second Language endorsement at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. In April of 2019, Nesreen received her administrative certificate after completing her administrative internship. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Her research interests are in educational leadership, school improvement, curriculum and instruction, and English Learners. As an English as Second Language endorsed teacher, Nesreen advocates for an inclusive learning experience for all learners. She has attended several professional development training in the areas of reading and writing at the district and building level and has helped train staff in multiple areas at the building level. Nesreen has served and currently still serves as a leader in her building Positive Behavior Intervention Support committee, is member of her district school improvement and assessment committees. In her free time, Nesreen enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and biking.

Thursday

November 11, 2021

11:00 am EST

Peer Mentoring: Building a Bridge to Student Success

Presented by Carrie Schubert

For those interested in building or enhancing a collegiate peer mentoring program, the purpose of this webinar is to explain the components of a centralized, campus-wide and departmentally-based peer mentoring program, and its positive impact towards student success. This peer mentoring program is designed to provide early and continual communication between upper-division students and incoming students, especially as it relates to the critical transition period during the first year at the University.

Friday

December 3, 2021

1:00 pm EST

Mentorships Importance in the Development of Crisis Leaders

Presented by Dr. Chaveso ‘Chevy’ Cook

In this webinar you will be able to hear about the developmental pathways, approaches, and reasons why mentorship is key to building leaders who can thrive in crisis. Through his military background and mentoring work, Dr. Cook has a message that is engaging, engrossing, and thought provoking. You’ll also get a preview of what Dr. Cook will be speaking about during his keynote at our IMA Conference in February ’22!

Chaveso “Chevy” Cook, Ph.D. is an active-duty Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army. His career started in the historic 82^nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. After selection and training for Army Special Operations, he transferred to Psychological Operations, continuing service at Fort Bragg. During his military career he’s deployed during “The Surge”, the “Arab Spring”, and the fight against ISIS in roles working with a wide variety of American embassies, local leaders, and non-governmental organizations, in addition to assisting/training foreign militaries, and serving multiple special operations task forces. These and other experiences span Iraq (x3), Qatar (x2), Niger, Jordan, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and the United Arab Emirates. He has led small, specialized teams and large formations with a variety of both civilians and military, as well as a multitude of specialties and demographics. Chevy was also fortunate enough to be a psychology instructor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at United States Military Academy (USMA). He currently is the speechwriter for the Honorable Christine Wormuth, the 25^th Secretary of the Army.