Emerging Leaders Conference Program

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Registration Check-In (All Attendees - Lobby)

9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Welcome (All Attendees - Main Room)

Sonya Cromwell, Student Life Director, Trident Technical College

Greeting from Trident Technical College

Dr. Mary Thornley, President

Roll Call

Leroy D. Gibson, Student Services & Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, SC Technical College System

9:15 – 10:00 a.m.

Keynote: Average to Awesome

Presenter: Tim Bowers, Motivational Speaker, Author of Average to Awesome, and founder of Tim Bowers Speaks

Social/Occupational/Emotional/Mental Wellness (All Attendees - Main Room)

10:15 – 11:00 a.m. Concurrent Session #1 (Choose One)

Session 101: Surviving the First Year of College

Presenter: Michael Finkley, Executive Director, The Finkley Experience Mental Wellness (All Attendees - Salon A/B)

Did you know first-generation students demonstrated lower rates of college readiness in key academic areas? Or did you know first-generation college students contribute greatly to an institution’s retention and graduation rates? Don’t allow these stats to define your college success; Finkley is here to help navigate you through your first year. In this session, Finkley will use a combined lecture, a small and large discussion, and interactive games to engage the attendees.

Session 102: Turning Conflict into Progress: A Leader’s Guide to Dealing with Conflict in Teams

Presenter: Wes Moore, Adjunct Business Instructor, Trident Technical College Social Wellness (All Attendees - Main Room)

This session will review key principles to make conflict an ally of leading people. Leaders will learn the importance and benefit of conflict, how to minimize conflict before it takes place, discover the true underlying issues the conflict is manifesting, use conflict to build a better team, and develop future leaders through the conflict process.

11:15 a.m. – Noon Win with Wellness

Presenter: Marianne Weinstein, Director of Wellness Center, Trident Technical College

All Dimensions of Wellness (All Students - Main Room)

This session will focus on all dimensions of wellness and how it applies to leadership. It will also include a chair workout for everyone to enjoy the physical dimension.

Balancing Self While Maintaining Student Life

Presenter: Kelvin Durant, Owner, LPC, LAC, NCC, BC-Hypnotherapy, A New You Counseling Center

Occupational/Emotional (All Advisors and Directors - Salon A/B)

It is so easy to lose oneself while maintaining campus life, but it’s important to have fun while creating a positive student atmosphere. The common denominator in maintaining student life is a well-balanced director and/or advisor. Mr. Durant will meet with advisors and directors to discuss methods of self-care in a high stress career. Noon – 1:00 p.m. Chat & Chew Lunch

Presenter: Ebony Clemmons, Paralegal / Student

Social Wellness (All Students and Advisors – Main Room)

Through sharing my journey I would like to encourage, empower, and elevate others into their next dimension of purpose so that they can unleash their potential and go after their dreams!

1:15 – 2:00 p.m.

Chat & Chew Directors’ Round Table Discussion

Presenter: Leroy D. Gibson, Student Services & Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, SC Technical College System (All Student Life Directors – Salon A/B)

Failure is a Prerequisite

Presenter: Demetrius Smith, Consultant and Coach, FLITE Smith Enterprises LLC Mental and Emotional Wellness (All Students - Main Room)

Using lessons I learned as an undergraduate student, as a graduate student, as a higher education professional, and a workforce development professional I will empower students by teaching them about the necessity of failure if one desires to truly be successful. Failure can be self-inflicted, or it may occur in spite of one's best efforts. We all encounter failure, but we don't all learn the same lessons. Like English 101 is necessary before English 102, failure is necessary before success. This session addresses mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes that often lead to failure. The session will empower participants to move beyond the failures they have experienced in life thus far. It will also prepare students with an action plan to address future failures, while also providing them with resources to avoid unnecessary failures. Participants will be able to apply the lessons from this session to their personal life, academic life, and professional life.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for Beginners for Adults

Presenter: Michael Finkley, Executive Director, The Finkley Experience Mental Wellness (All Directors and Advisors - Salon A/B)

According to a recent study, organizations with increased diversity levels often demonstrate the ability to innovate faster and more effectively by over 86%. What does diversity, equity, and inclusion really mean? How do you see it from a personal lens? In this session, the ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion will be broken down in order for participants to formulate self-reflections and self-development. During this session, Finkley uses a combined lecture, a small and large discussion, and interactive games to engage the attendees.

2:15 – 3:00 p.m.

Concurrent Session #2 (Choose One)

Session 201: Paving a Way to Jobs and Careers

Presenters: David Rosenbaum, Associate Dean of Students, Piedmont Technical College and Jackie Kohlhepp, CEO at The Rez Rev, LLC Occupational (All Attendees - Main Room)

Participants will identify their own network, practice approaching others, talk about their skills and interests, and learn about what employers look for from job seekers.

Session 202: Earn While You Learn: Apprenticeship 101

Presenters: Brittany Salley, Apprenticeship Consultant, Apprenticeship Carolina and Briguida Romero, Bilingual Registered Program Specialist, Apprenticeship Carolina Occupational Wellness (All Attendees - Salon A/B)

Looking for work experience in your field of interest? How about an opportunity to be trained by companies who have high quality training programs? If your answer is yes, then registered apprenticeship programs are the way to go. Join the Apprenticeship Carolina team as we discuss what registered apprenticeships are, the opportunities a program can offer, and the importance of diversity within apprenticeships.

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. Door Prizes and Closing Remarks (All Attendees - Main Room)

Dr. Rosline Sumpter, VP for Academics, Student Affairs and Research, SC Technical College System

Keynote Speaker Tim Bowers

Tim grew up fatherless and in one of the poorest towns in South Carolina. He was labeled an at-risk youth less likely to make it, expelled from 7th grade, served time in the Department of Juvenile Justice at 13 years old, almost experienced being homeless as a high school student and didn’t have anyone in his family that graduated from college. Instead of complaining, Tim decided to use his upbringing struggles and experiences as motivation to take his life from average to awesome.

He graduated from high school on time and earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration from Benedict College. His achievement made him a first-generation college graduate. Two months after graduation, he began working for a Fortune 500 company in sales. In his first year, he won the Top Performer Sales Banker award. At the age of 26, he started building his second business, Tim Bowers Enterprise, providing student development and motivational speaking to middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities worldwide. At the age of 29, Tim wrote his first book, Average to Awesome: Transitioning From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. At the age of 30, Tim was recognized by Columbia Metropolitan Magazine as one of Columbia, South Carolina Top Ten Young Professionals. At the age of 31, he became an Award-Winning Author. Tim’s transition from his past to his present serves as a testament to students that against all odds, YOU CAN STILL SUCCEED!

For over five years, Tim has worked in the educational arena as a motivational speaker, mentor, and at-risk youth advocate. His overall mission is to inspire the minds of people globally, to make a positive impact on communities around the world and to fill people up with the courage to go after the desires of their heart.

Tim Bowers lives by his own mantra:

“You were not born to be average. You were born to leave a legacy worth remembering.”

It is the policy of Trident Technical College that no discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, color, disability, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital or family status, services in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, political opinions, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, national origin or any other factor protected under applicable federal, state and local civil rights laws, rules and regulations (collectively referred to as "Protected Status") will exist in any area of the college. Produced and printed by Trident Tech. 3/23 SA23-009