Future Success Symposium Equips Alumni with Tools for College Success and Beyond
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” — Malcolm X
These words resonated with and became the guiding principle for our CBI Alumni Engagement team when they, in partnership with the Office of Enrollment Management at SUNY, hosted the first Future Success Symposium (FSS) in January 2020. Since then, the Future Success Symposium has become a signature event on the SL Network event calendar and each year the symposium is designed to meet the holistic needs of high school seniors and college students while equipping them with tools for college success and beyond.
With planning now underway for the third annual FSS (January 11-13, 2022), we caught up with the symposium’s event managers, Nichole Pierre (Manager of Alumni Engagement at SL Network) and Mark Sanders (Strategic Recruitment Coordinator at SUNY) to learn how this event came to be and what continues to motivate them.
Building the Future Success Sympoisum
Nichole and Mark have worked together on this event since the beginning and they agree that collaboration is one of the aspects they enjoy most about this event. They also love that the symposium allows them to combine their creativity and passion in order to make a lasting impact in the lives of young people. Helping our recent alumni with their self-confidence plays a large part in their overall goal for the symposium. “We hope to help students increase their self-confidence so they can learn how to be comfortable and confident in any space that they’re in,” says Nichole.
With this in mind, Nichole and Mark established three areas that would be the focus of the symposium’s panel discussions and workshops: academic success, building community, and mental health. These core focus areas are central to planning the event each year and as Mark explains, these are always relevant to students – before and during the pandemic. “Although we’re further along in the pandemic, students today are still faced with challenges that affect one’s mental health, college success, and will to build community.” He adds that these core themes demonstrate the importance of being present and mindful in all aspects of life. “I believe college success, being immersed in the community, and paying attention to your wellness are the cornerstones of practicing mindfulness.”
Ensuring that discussions and workshops are relevant to the needs of students today, the symposium features presenters from a diverse range of life experiences and professional backgrounds including higher education, social activism, and mental health.
Presenters generously volunteer their time as speakers and many of them have shared that they see themselves in our students and alumni who grow up in underserved communities and are often the first in their families to attend college. This connection between presenters and attendees facilitates a deeper sense of community which is another important component of the symposium.
Kicking off the first Future Success Symposium
At the first symposium in January 2020 at the SUNY Global Center, our alumni had an opportunity to convene as a community and hear from our panelists who talked about their educational journey that led to their current positions at companies such as The Estee Lauder Companies, Jordan, and uAspire. Breakout sessions led by presenters included a variety of topics like personal branding, budgeting, and exploring career pathways.
The roster of presenters also featured entrepreneurs and founders of their own ventures, which gave attendees a glimpse of different pathways that are possible. “We want students to take away that success isn’t linear. There are many avenues to success and we’re here to equip students with tools to shape their own path,” says Nichole.
Future Success Sympoisum goes virtual
In February 2021, as the world continued to grapple with the spread of COVID-19, the second FSS pivoted to a virtual format but Nichole and Mark remained committed as ever to creating an experience that would deliver valuable resources and support for college students during a time of uncertainty.
In a discussion about academic success, our panel of higher education professionals answered questions from students about how to persist in virtual learning environments. One of our presenters, Meylin Andares, who has worked in higher education admissions for 15 years, spoke about the importance of tutoring and staying informed of happenings on campus. While she shared this advice in the context of remote learning, her wisdom is applicable to any learning environment, be it virtual, hybrid, or in-person. Watch the 1-minute video to the right.
Outside of academic success, it was particularly important to Nichole and Mark to share tools for managing stress and anxiety, especially for students balancing responsibilities at school, home, and work during the pandemic. To address concerns around mental health, our team of wellness professionals discussed how to identify signs of stress and/or trauma and how to take steps to support overall wellness. Check out the 4-minute clip to the right.
What to expect at Future Success Sympoisum 2022
Now going into its third year, the next Future Success Symposium will be held virtually from January 11-13, 2022. All of our CBI high school seniors and alumni are invited to log on and gain tools for academic success, building community, and managing mental health. This year the symposium will focus on equipping attendees with resources for self-exploration that will support students in defining and shaping their purpose.
In addition to receiving tools and resources, the symposium provides students with the opportunity to connect with a community, which Nichole explains is another important outcome of this event. “We want to tie attendees back to the community that they have and let students know that they have a network of support to succeed in college and beyond.”
See what the team has in store for Future Success Symposium 2022 and save your spot today.
