M.A.L.E. Connection Newsletter

I am Dr. Whitaker, the new director, for the M.A.L.E. Connection program. I am excited to be joining the Georgia College & State University (GCSU) family. The M.A.L.E. Connection program is funded by the University System of Georgia (USG). It is a system-wide initiative designed to increase the number of students who complete their postsecondary education from any USG institution.

The goal is to provide an integrated program model of academic, leadership, and life skills that support participating students to complete each educational level and graduate. Another layer of the program is to partner with other community organizations in Milledgeville and build the leadership and life skills of young men enrolled in Baldwin County School District. This year we partnered with the High Achievers Program at GCSU. This program is led by Mrs. Sequena Stanton (Director) and Mr. Kenneth Daniels (Campus Coordinator).

This newsletter serves as a broad highlight of some of the work that we engaged in this year. Because of the generous financial support from the University System of Georgia, we were able to pour into M.A.L.E. Connection participants. This was a great year, and I am proud of their academic accomplishments.

As the new director of the M.A.L.E. connection program, it was important to assemble the most talented minds to support me in further developing the program. Please meet our phenomenal board members below.

Brandy Holland is the Director of the Head Start program in Tyler, Texas. With over 19 years in Education as a teacher, administrator and now director, Brandy Holland is passionate about empowering others to level the playing field for themselves. While she was a principal at T.J. Austin Elementary School, she started a Boys2Men group for the students and solicited the brothers of Omega Psi Phi and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. from Texas College to lead it. She has a knack for prepping all ages for the workforce by teaching professional social skills necessary in the workplace, modeling how to proactively put systems in place to be organized and timely and showing how to be intentional about making positive connections with others. Brandy has been married to her husband, Kevin Holland for 20 years, and they have two children: Kennedy (13) and KJ (15).

Dr. Mike Newton, Ed.D. is currently a Lecturer in the MAT Special Program and most recently served as the Assessment & Accreditation Director in the JHL College of Education for the past four years. Mike holds degrees from Oxford College, Emory University, Georgia College & State University and Georgia Southern University and is a career public educator- recently retiring as superintendent of schools in Jasper County, Georgia.

Mike has served as President of the Georgia School Superintendents Association (GSSA) and as Chair of the Middle Georgia Regional Education Service Association (RESA). He currently serves as the chair of the Dean’s Leadership Committee.

Mike has a self-described “calling” for education. He fondly remembers his time as a student in the JHL College of Education dreaming of the day he would teach for the university. He is married to Tonya (Smith) Newton, double Georgia College alumna. Tonya is a Kindergarten teacher at Jasper County Primary School. Mike and Tonya have two sons, Aaron and Evan. Aaron is a middle grades mathematics teacher in Cherokee County, and Evan is a recent Georgia College graduate. In their spare time, Mike and Tonya enjoy spending time in the North Georgia mountains and other travel.

Nadirah Z. Mayweather is the Director of Alumni Relations at Georgia College & State University. She is a double alumna of GCSU and has worked in several areas on campus including the Academic Advising Center, Student Activities and most recently as the director of the Cultural Center/ interim director of the African American Male Initiative. Nadirah spent several years teaching in the Bibb County School System and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Communities In Schools of Milledgeville/Baldwin County. She enjoys spending time with her family, creating planner & organization systems, singing and reading. Nadirah is passionate about education, helping others become the best versions of themselves and spreading Love and Light to put into action her favorite verse: Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue.

The High Achievers Program (HAP) is an afterschool youth development program designed to help young people reach their full potential and have a solid base for learning and growing. The Program is funded by the Georgia Department of Human Services and is a partnership between Georgia College & State University, Baldwin Co. Board of Education and the Milledgeville community. By participating in diverse and comprehensive, leadership development/enrichment activities that include a summer employment-focused youth apprenticeship program, youth are encouraged to become effective and participatory future leaders.

Mrs. Sequena Stanton is the Director of Afterschool Achievement. Mrs. Stanton manages both YES and High Achievers, which are Georgia College & State University grant-sponsored programs. Mrs. Stanton has over 22 years of experience at GCSU and over 17 years of experience managing grant programs with compliance, fiscal and staff management.

"Youth programs are my passion because I love helping young people strive to reach their full potential."

Credentials:

Bachelors Business 04', Masters Public Administration 08', Specialist-Teacher Leadership 18', EDLD Higher Education Specialization 26’ (in progress)

Mr. Kenneth Daniels is the Program Coordinator for the GCSU High Achievers Program. He is a native of Milledgeville, Georgia, and the only child of Ernest T. Daniels, Jr. (deceased) and Janice Daniels. He is a proud husband and father of three wonderful children. Mr. Daniels attended Fort Valley State College and GCSU where he earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration and minored in management information systems and computer information systems.

He has done much community-based work as he's worked for the GCSU’s High Achievers Program as the community organizer for eight years and served as the program coordinator for the Baldwin County Family Connection Partnership for three years. He was employed with Central Georgia Technical College as an Instructor for the Adult Education Division for 17 years (three nominations for Instructor of the Year) and now proudly serves as the program coordinator for the High Achievers Program.

In his spare time, he enjoys involvement in community-based projects, meeting new people, watching sports, cooking and spending time with family and friends.

"I am excited to offer my knowledge, direction and support to our HAP participants as they strive to become leaders and reach their full potential. Achieve High!"

I have been acquainted with the M.A.L.E. Connection program for eleven years. Formerly under the leadership of Dr. Emmanuel Little, and Dr. Melvin Middleton and now under the leadership of Dr. Adam Whitaker. I feel that the program will continue to inspire others as it has inspired me. Though the name changed, my love and dedication for the program didn’t.

How did I get introduced to the program? Fortunately, I have the GCSU Early College Program (under the Leadership of Dr. Runee Sallad) to thank for this connection.

Due to my acceptance into the GCSU Early College Program, at only twelve years of age, I experienced various amenities at GCSU. I had the opportunity to begin creating life-long connections with staff, such as: involvement in the SOAR program, MYB (Minority Youth & Business Leadership Program), and the M.A.L.E. Connection program.

I have been endowed with several attributes from my experiences working with the M.A.LE. Connection program. Leadership skills, brotherhood, professionalism, dedication, perseverance, networking abilities, wisdom and knowledge are only a few characteristics that I developed from participating in the program. I’d say the ability to learn from each other would be one of the greatest. Everyone has a story, different background and a different mindset for life. However, M.A.L.E. Connection brings a sense of unity, that although we all march to our own beats; we can still be there to uphold, assist, and encourage one another.

To further encourage my fellow brothers, I would like for them all to always remember, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: And he delighteth in his way. Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down: For the Lord upholdeth him with his hand (Psalm 37:23-24)." Also, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6)." Lastly, I leave you with the words of the great Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” It has been a pleasure to grow with the M.A.L.E. Connection program. ALWAYS keep moving forward!

- Antonio D. Roberson Jr.

GCSU Alumni, Fall 2023

We began the year with a focus on self-compassion. Self-compassion is an important mental health approach that involves being able to relate to yourself as well as taking action to protect, motivate, and provide for yourself. With this in mind, Rebecca Werts (pictured left), a doctoral candidate, spoke with a few of the brothers and discussed the importance of incorporating self-compassion in their everyday lives. Ms. Werts explored statistics regarding mental health in the black community and also provided mental health resources for brothers who were interested in counseling services.

In October and November, time was spent with Mr. Daniels, HAP coordinator, and the young M.A.L.E. Connection brothers. In October, I spoke to the group about the importance of a positive self-identity. To frame this conversation, we discussed a poem by Joshua Abah (linked below). He challenged the young men to think about self-identity from their perspective, the lens of their community, and the lens of society.

In November, Rajun Allen, an entrepreneur, spoke to the brothers about how to be successful. He is an entrepreneur who has multiple businesses and works with celebrities in the entertainment industry from across the country. Mr. Allen challenged the young men to think about success and what it means to them. He also left the young men with two important points:

1. Success is a progressive movement.

2. Being Successful is the completion of an idea.

In January, the brothers had the opportunity to learn from Joseph Thomas, CEO of Tie My Tie. Mr. Thomas spoke about how to achieve greatness. He explained that despite challenges in life everyone can achieve their dreams with a clear vision, dedication, and PERSEVERANCE.

Meanwhile, Micheal Clear hosted a virtual event (pictured below) to discuss the importance of brotherhood and mentorship. The title of his message was, "Each one, teach one." He discussed a mentoring program he established that focused on developing the social/emotional capacity, leadership, and academic skills of young black males in his classroom and across his school district. Data from his program showed an increase in students applying to college, graduating from high school, and developing positive social/emotional skills.

In February, Brother Wright and Brother Jackson attended the African American Collegiate Male Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. At the summit, the young brothers had the opportunity to network, talk about internship opportunities, and learn about soft and hard skills needed to be successful in college and the workforce. More importantly, they had the opportunity to engage with other young brothers from across the University System of Georgia as well as professionals in the IT, construction management, and technology fields.

In March, Anthony Dodson, a financial literacy coach and motivational speaker (picture and clip featured below), visited with M.A.L.E. Connection brothers to talk about how to "Finance Their Dreams." In his session, he talked about entrepreneurship, building credit, and how to leverage financial resources to build the life they desire.

At the end of March, Mr. Thomas returned to talk about succeeding at the "game" of life. Using the game of Uno as an analogy, he challenged the young brothers to think about the challenges associated with matriculating through life and beyond and how to make adjustments when faced with life's challenges.

Mr. Thomas also facilitated a Lunch and Learn where he talked about the importance of being a leader in life and beyond. He defined leadership and encouraged the students to think about how they can be better leaders. Additionally, all young brothers received a copy of Dr. Marcus Broadhead's book Becoming Enough: An Educator's Journey to Leadership.

The goal for this year was to re-establish programming that converged around leadership and life skills for participants in the M.A.L.E Connection program. The target audience for programming were brothers at the high school and undergraduate levels. The programming could not have been accomplished without the diligent support and partnership of the High Achievers Program (HAP). I appreciate the leadership of Ms. Stanton and Mr. Daniels. Mr. Daniels facilitates the day-to-day of the HAP and he has led with intentionality and structure the entire year. All things considered, this is the beginning of renewed programming for the M.A.L.E. Connection program. We look forward to continued partnership with the HAP, and the larger Milledgeville community. Onward and Upward!