{"id":156792,"date":"2016-04-27T15:53:08","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T19:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=156792"},"modified":"2016-04-28T10:46:45","modified_gmt":"2016-04-28T14:46:45","slug":"minority-male-student-leadership-symposium-offers-workshops-guidance-roland-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/minority-male-student-leadership-symposium-offers-workshops-guidance-roland-williams\/","title":{"rendered":"Super Bowl star Roland Williams keynotes Minority Male Student Leadership symposium"},"content":{"rendered":"

The fourth annual Minority Male Student Leadership Association symposium is Saturday, April 30, offering workshops and guidance for local high school students.<\/p>\n

Workshops will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Simon Business School on the River Campus. The theme is \u201cA Tale of 2 Cities: Being Who I Want To Be,\u201d and focuses on minority male achievement in Rochester.<\/p>\n

\"roland\"\u201cWe want to allow minority males to open up and broaden their horizons, and not determine their success by where they live, but what they dream and aspire to become,\u201d says Stephaun Ward \u201918, one of the event\u2019s organizers.<\/p>\n

There is no charge to attend, and a free lunch will be provided.<\/p>\n

The keynote speech will be delivered by former National Football League tight end Roland Williams, a graduate of Rochester\u2019s East High School and founder of the local non-profit organization Champion Academy, which uses sports to help youth within underprivileged areas across the city through empowerment and mentorship.<\/p>\n

Champion Academy was launched in 2014.<\/p>\n

Williams played in two Super Bowls, winning one with the St. Louis Rams, during an eight-year career. He will speak from 2:30-3:30 p.m. at Hoyt Auditorium, and this event is free and open to the public.<\/p>\n

Students will participate in workshops that include a panel with undergraduate members who will highlight the benefits and importance of higher education from personal experiences; undergraduates who will discuss goal-setting, self-motivation, and person branding; a financial workshop led by representatives from the financial aid office and undergraduates that explains how to pay for college and manage money.<\/p>\n