{"id":223468,"date":"2024-03-13T10:14:52","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T14:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=223468"},"modified":"2024-05-13T18:23:53","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T22:23:53","slug":"montclair-state-university-symposium-touts-triumph-over-trauma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2024\/03\/13\/montclair-state-university-symposium-touts-triumph-over-trauma\/","title":{"rendered":"Montclair State University Symposium Touts \u2018Triumph Over Trauma\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many\u00a0 high school students participating in the Male Enrollment and Graduation Alliance (MEGA) Symposium at Montclair State University, their favorite part of the half-day program was the open discussions about traumatic experiences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Friends and fellow ninth-graders at James J. Ferris High School in Jersey City Julian Aragon and Nelson Aquino and others said the March 8 event and its theme \u201cTriumph Over Trauma,\u201d created a safe space for the more than 250 high school students to hear and open up about similar experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey talked about trauma, which I think is important, because all people go through problems each day,\u201d Aragon said. \u201cIt’s important to talk about this, so people don’t get stuck or suffer from depression.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Both he and Aquino said they appreciated learning coping skills for dealing with trauma. \u201cIt makes me think about my friends who also have been through the same experience,\u201d Aquino says. \u201cIt makes me think I can be a better person by being with them and helping them come through these experiences that they\u2019re going through.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Aquino says he wants to attend Montclair and study pre-law. \u201cThe event is inspiring because I\u2019ve never seen anything like it. It makes me think about life after high school and being at a university,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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James J. Ferris High School\u2019s Julian Aragon, right, and Nelson Aquino, seated to his right, said they appreciated hearing how to deal with trauma.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Wilfred Kounde, a senior at American History High School in Newark, the theme reinforced for him that he is on the right track. \u201cAs a person who wants to go into psychology, to hear grown men who look like me talk about their experiences with trauma gives me more hope to keep going with the field that I want to pursue,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The event, now in its second year, gathered Black and Latinx young men and counselors from 15 high schools in more than half a dozen counties, as well as undergraduates from five colleges and universities, according to Tati\u00e1 M. Haywood, MEGA organizer and EOF counselor. The MEGA Symposium specifically targets young men to provide them with information and experiences to encourage them to pursue college degrees. It is among Montclair\u2019s efforts to counteract the precipitous drop in college and university enrollment of young men, particularly young men of color.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the outset, the stage was set for the young men to feel safe in sharing their feelings. They also heard the message that asking for help is a sign of strength and not weakness. \u201cHow many of us have been harmed, scarred and made to believe that we are broken? We were made to believe that the suffering we carry in our hearts was a normal part of our lives but the truth is that our pain was not supposed to be a permanent state,\u201d said psychologist Enmanuel Mercedes. \u201cWe’re not broken. We are wounded and in the process of healing. Today, I invite you to keep your hearts and your minds open as we share with each other the many paths that we have taken to triumph over trauma, so that we may find the healing we need for ourselves and support those that need healing in our respective communities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Assistant Provost for Special Programs, EOF and Academic Success Daniel Jean shares parts of his personal story of \u201cTriumph Over Trauma,\u201d the theme of the second MEGA Symposium, sponsored by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Assistant Provost for Special Programs, EOF and Academic Success Daniel Jean opened up about his personal life and delivered a message of inclusion. He shared how his family had moved a dozen times before he graduated high school, at one point becoming homeless and having to move in with relatives, as well as how violence had impacted his family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you suffer from random violence and lost loved ones, you are not alone. If alcohol and drugs have impacted your life in any form or fashion, you are not alone,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you plan to improve your family legacy, whatever that legacy is, you will not be alone. So that’s the overarching goal we’re trying to accomplish today, triumph over trauma\u2026. We want you to understand that you will not be alone and that ultimately, you will get resources, strategies and tips for you to achieve all your personal professional dreams and not be stuck in any trauma or violence you experienced.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The symposium again featured the popular Barbershop.EDU College Life Panel, where panelists address the audience as some participants are treated to haircuts. Matthew Salazar, a Montclair State University senior majoring in Family Science and Human Development with a concentration in Family Services and current president of the Latin American Student Organization, shared with the audience that he sought services from Counseling and Psychological Services on campus when dealing with personal hardship and heartbreak.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s a sense that mental health is a brittle condition, and it’s not a strong asset. I believe that around each area of life, you need mental health to get you through the tough parts, especially through college where you’re battling imposter syndrome, stress, anxiety and worries that you might not succeed,\u201d Salazar said. \u201cI think one healthy way of dealing with stress and mental health challenges is seeking therapy. Everyone should find outlets, through their teachers or advisors or people in your environment \u2013 family members, friends \u2013 to talk about stuff.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Montclair senior Matthew Salazar (with microphone) encourages students to seek help when dealing with mental health challenges.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Asked to share some coping strategies, Salazar told the audience that he likes to workout. \u201cI think working out keeps your mind right, keeps your body right and keeps you spiritually in tune with yourself. Everybody should try to find something that really uplifts them physically, mentally, that gives them joy\u2026and work through it all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For Omar Santos, a senior from East Side High School in Newark, the symposium provided an opportunity for an inaugural higher education campus visit. \u201cIt’s my first time ever going to college in general,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been great.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s symposium included more cultural programming, including drum, dance and spoken-word performances by the troupe Culture Lovers; a trio also performed another spoken word titled \u201cBaggage\u201d that illustrated the burdens and expectations that can weigh down young men of color, particularly if they are first-generation college students, and encouraged them to lean on one another.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Montclair alumnus Elija Blackwell \u201919, left, and Faheed Washington \u201919, right, perform \u201cBaggage\u201d with playwright Reggie Walker, center.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The program included an awards presentation. Carolina E. Gonz\u00e1lez, a former assistant dean at Montclair and now chief of staff and senior research associate at Bank Street College of Education, was presented with the MEGA Founder Award by Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales. Also honored with MEGA Impact Awards were Altarik White, founder of Leaders for Life, presented by Jean; the student organization The Brotherhood\/La Hermandad, presented by Jeronimo Valcarcel, EOF Counselor; Robert Reid, professor of Family Science and Human Development, presented by Rahjaun Gordon, director of EOF; and alumnus Michael Spence \u201914, a pastor and motivational speaker who works with youth, whose award was presented by Rob Gilbert, sports psychologist and associate professor of Exercise Science and Physical Education.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A
Montclair alumnus Michael <\/span>Spence \u201914, closed the conference with a rousing speech and had the men lock arms to convey the message that they are not alone and can rely on one another.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

PHOTO GALLERY<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Montclair
Montclair President Jonathan Koppell welcomed MEGA participants, telling them \u201cWe’re focused on a particular population because Black and Latino men play a vital role in our community.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Dancers and drummers from Culture Lovers perform during the MEGA Symposium.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Men
Counselors, panelists and speakers gathered at the Feliciano School of Business as part of the presentations held for professionals during the MEGA Symposium.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Young
Students from Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy share a bonding moment during one of the exercises.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Counselors and professional staff who work with young male high school and college students during the MEGA Symposium pose for a group photo.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Two
Two students share a laugh during the MEGA Symposium.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Some MEGA Symposium participants take a group selfie.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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A few of the more than 250 MEGA Symposium participants.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Story by Staff Writer<\/span> Sylvia A. Martinez<\/span><\/a>. Photos by <\/span>John J. LaRosa for Montclair State University<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n