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Mistress of Ceremony Alexis Means of ABC 13 Action News
opened the program. Elected officials and dignitaries
offered greetings and thanked parents for attending this
morning with their children, all followed by a moment of
silence for one of the program’s original advocates, Alice
Skeens, Ph.D.
“Dr. Cooks is the founder of Toledo EXCEL and quick to
remind us without the contributions of Dr. Alice Skeens,
Toledo EXCEL in all likelihood would not exist. Dr. Skeens
walked in the proposal to Toledo EXCEL, 23 years later here
we are. Dr. Skeens passed away earlier this year, and we
feel that loss. She served on our joint committee every
year, tutored, wrote proposals, made phone calls and
whatever was needed,” said David Young, director of Toledo
EXCEL.
Keynote speaker, UT alumnus, award-winning journalists,
MSNBC contributor, White House correspondent and weekly
commentator Jeff I. Johnson addressed and encouraged
students and parents to strive for excellence.
“It’s important to recognize when we’re talking about
planning and success and aspiring minority students that we
don’t start at the success point. It’s sometimes
overwhelming to hear my resume read here, I made more
mistakes here than anywhere else, and people questioning me
if my accomplishments would ever happen,” said Johnson.
He went on to encourage young men in our communities to take
advantage of all opportunities. “There is a targeted attack
on you to believe that the only you can become successful is
by using your body, or entertain someone or believe the hype
that you will fit into a box with thousands of people who
did not make it,” said Johnson. “If you can play basketball
then play, but play enough basketball to get a full-ride to
Stanford to play basketball.”
The afternoon concluded with separate student and parent
sessions. While students were focusing on ways to use
foresight in day-to-day decision making with presenter
George E. Rice III, CEO of Triple Threat Enterprises, LLC;
parents learned about ways to assist their children for
future planning.
Facilitators Talmadge Thomas of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist
Church and Teresa Quinn of Ella P. Stewart Academy for Girls
worked with parents on tools necessary for action plans,
understanding critical thinking and encouraging open
communication.
The University of Toledo Joint Committee which has worked in
collaboration since January 1985 has 23 members representing
educational institutions: UT, Monroe County Community
College and TPS; nonprofits ONYX and United Way of Greater
Toledo; corporations Owens Corning, Managed Wealth
Financial, Superior Industrial Supply and Services, Inc, and
Huntington; State Representative Michael Ashford and Mt.
Zion Baptist Church.
Conference sponsors include UT, 13 ABC Action News, TPS,
NANBPWC, Inc. Toledo Club, Lathrop, Buckeye Cable, The
Andersons, Cooper & Walinski, UPS, The Sojourner’s Truth,
Fifth Third Bank, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, Zeta Alpha
Omega Chapter, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc, Alpha Xi
Lambda Chapter, BASF Corporation, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
Inc, Toledo Alumni Chapter, Jack & Jill of America, Inc,
Toledo Chapter, Paramount Advantage, Promedica Health
Systems, The Coalition for Quality Education, Kappa Alpha
Psi Fraternity, Inc, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, NAACP
Youth Organization, The National Sorority of Phi Delta
Kappa, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority,
Inc.
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