NKU pulls in prospective students with Man Up! Leadership conference

Northern Kentucky University's Institute for Talent Development and Gifted Studies will be hosting up to 400 Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati male high schoolers for a day designed to prepare them for college and careers.

This year's Man Up! Young Men's Leadership Conference is a follow up to the one NKU hosted for females-only last year. The Institute plans to alternate each conference, geared toward juniors and seniors, every year.

During the daylong event, set for March 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., students will attend workshops and discussion panels that outline the nuts and bolts of preparing for college and for a career path. Sessions will be led by professors, and community and business leaders.  Cincinnati Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls spoke last year, and University President James Votruba is among this year's speakers. Topics that will be discussed include resume writing, etiquette and linking passions and skills to a career.
 
Many students who will attend will be first-generation college students, or those who are considering NKU but may not have made up their mind, said program co-director Dr. Kevin D. Besnoy.

"What we are trying to do is show what it takes to get into college, that it is accessible to anybody. We'll teach them about resume writing, the college application process and financing college through loans and scholarships, Besnoy said. "We'll also talk how to position yourself for graduation as you get ready to enter a profession."

The conference is meant to supplement what students are learning in high school, but from a different point of authority that can tie the high school and college worlds together, Besnoy added.

"It supports the message that high schools are sending to the kids, but it provides a different voice. Sometimes getting a message from a completely different source makes students more apt to hear it," he said.

The conference cost is $10 and covers the cost of lunch and supplemental materials. To register a student or for more information, call (859) 859-572-1957 or email [email protected].

Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Dr. Kevin D. Besnoy, co-director Institute for Talent Development and Gifted Studies

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