Ed Johnson, former Asbury Park mayor and director of Brookdale Community College’s Higher Education Center in Long Branch, hosts a workshop during the 2016 Minority Male Initiative conference in Lincroft. (Photo by Brookdale Community College)

Press release from Brookdale Community College

On Friday, February 17, Brookdale Community College and the Monmouth/Ocean County Pan Hellenic Council will host the third annual “Minority Male Initiative” conference on the college’s Lincroft campus.

Scheduled for 8:30 a.m., the free conference titled “Setting Priorities for Career Success” will be held in Brookdale’s Warner Student Life Center. The event co-sponsored by Hackensack Meridian Health and Brookdale’s Educational Opportunity Fund program will offer career-oriented workshops designed specifically for local high school juniors, seniors and current Brookdale students.

“Each year more and more male students of color are enrolling in college, yet they still face enormous challenges,” said Lisa Savage, student services associate at Brookdale and a co-organizer of the conference. “We want to provide a comprehensive system of support and encouragement as students navigate their educational journey and move on to a successful career.”

Students are invited to network with area professionals and learn about specific jobs offered in four separate career clusters: STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics); health care and health science; business and social science; and communications media. Workshop leaders will also provide guidance on the educational pathways that lead to those careers.

The keynote address will be provided by Dr. Brian Roper, a Neptune-based physician, and a lunchtime discussion will be led by Reginald Anderson, regional director of information technology for Comcast-NBC.

The conference is open to local high school juniors, seniors and Brookdale students. Unique scholarship opportunities are available for eligible attendees. Pre-registration is required, and high school students should contact their school’s guidance department to register and receive a scholarship application. Brookdale students should contact Lisa Savage at lsavage@brookdalecc.edu. Check-in begins at 8 a.m., with parking available in lots 6 and 7.