Monroe Engaged

Student Activities Happy Hour 
On Tuesday, January 14th the Student Activities Office hosted its Winter Open House. The main purpose of this event was to introduce students to the scheduled events for the semester. Students’ usually look forward to off campus events. These planned events included a trip to the Escape Room, as well as Barclays Center to witness the Brooklyn Nets take on the Orlando Magic team. Additionally, the opportunity was provided for students to see Elsa and the crew in the top rated show- Frozen on Broadway, and also to experience an afternoon of Snow Tubing. Some of these trips were cancelled due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

NSMH Wins Most Creative Presentation 
The National Society for Minorities in Hospitality won the Student Activities most creative Club Fair presentation. Club Advisor Professor St. Clair Thompson and his team, presented an eye catching display at the January 28th event. With their expertise in hospitality, the student body, along with visiting staff members, and faculty as well as the judges - were treated to tantalizing condiments, and other delights.  The club fair is hosted each semester, students get the opportunity to meet club members and join a club. The NSMH club’s main mission is to build and maintain relationships between hospitality professionals and minority students in ways that encourage lifelong commitment to the organization. NSMH received $200.00 towards their club funds for their excellent presentation. 

Two New Clubs Introduced This Semester
Two new clubs were introduced this semester. Advised by Professor Sheri Jennings, the Multicultural clubs was introduced to spread awareness of all cultures. Monroe is extremely diverse, and we want to ensure that students are able to connect in a unique setting to express their cultures and learn about other cultures. If you are interested in joining the Multicultural club, contact professor Jennings at sjennings@monroecollege.edu. The Creative Expression club was created by Ms. Alyssia Green, and is focused on bringing awareness to numerous social topics through the expressive tool of art as music, photography, spoken word, and drawing. If you are interested in joining the Creative Expression club, contact Ms. Green at agreen@monroecollege.edu, 

Monroe College Has A New Dominoes Tournament Champion 
Balvin West, a Criminal Justice major is the new Dominoes Tournament Champion. The tournament took place on February 5th in the FYE Lounge. Those in attendance agreed that the game was extremely intense but fun. Balvin received a trophy, a $25.00 gift card and a new title as Monroe College Dominoes Tournament Champion. 

Club Members and Advisors Attend Training with America’s Student Leadership Trainer
On Thursday, February 6th, the Student Activities Office hosted a training for club members and advisors. The training was facilitated by America’s Student Leadership Trainer, David Kelly.  As a professional trainer, motivator, and servant leader, David is an expert on all aspects of running and leading campus organizations. During the training, he focused on membership retention and hosting fun and exciting meetings. Many agreed that the training met their expectations. Part of our mission is to ensure that our advisors and student leaders have access to the appropriate tools and resources to better run their clubs/organizations. 

Snack Bar for our Evening Students
Our evening students are extremely busy, most of them work full time jobs and some take care of their families. After work, they are normally rushing to campus to be on time for class. On Thursday, February 6th, the Student Activities Office treated evening students with some treats such as mini cupcakes, rice Krispy, bananas, clementine’s and apples. Motivational quotes were also placed on the granola bars and rice Krispy to encourage our students to push through despite life challenges. 

“Bae or Not”?
In observance of Valentine’s Day, two representatives from the Bronx DA’s office  

Anne-Sophie Walters; College Campus Sexual Assault Coordinator and Jeanette Gambaroj collaborated with the Student Activities to a workshop entitled “Bae or Not’’. The workshop took place on Thursday, February 13th and the main purpose was to educate students about the importance of healthy relationships and how to identify an unhealthy relationship. One student expressed that she predicted the workshop to be totally different than what was presented, but ultimately she was happy to attend. 

National Society of Leadership & Success (NSLS) Host Winter Orientation 
The Monroe College Bronx Chapter of the National Society of Leadership hosted its Winter orientation on Tuesday, February 4th and Saturday, February 8th. The NSLS is an organization that helps people discover and achieve their goals. Invitations are sent to students based on their academic achievements (3.5 GPA or Higher). If interested, students pay a one-time fee to become a member. Membership provides access to benefits including scholarships and awards, exclusive on-campus events, employer recruitment through an online job bank, and discounts on computers, textbooks, grad school prep courses, insurance and much more. To be an inducted member, student must complete various requirements. Upon completion of the program, members receive their leadership certificate. The Bronx chapter is exceptionally diverse and allows online students to be a part of something great. 

On Saturday, March 7th members of the National Society of Leadership and Success volunteered with Publicolor and gave back to the community. Publicolor is a stay-in school youth program that engages high risk students in their education through design based programs. While painting the Frederick Douglass Academy V. Middle School, NSLS members were paired with a Publicolor student to engage in a day long informal mentoring. NSLS member, Alexandria Pagan explained that she was especially grateful for the experience to serve as a mentor. Alexandria stated, “hopefully, we inspired the young men and women we worked alongside because they definitely inspired us.”

Self-Love is the Best Love 
As a reminder, to love oneself, the Student Activities hosted a workshop entitled “Self-Love is the Best Love. The workshop was presented, by the dynamic Professor LaQuetta Solomon from the School of Criminal and Social Justice. She did an exceptional job engaging the students. She especially stressed the importance of not allowing social media and the amount of “likes” to validate ones worth. It is no doubt that the students left feeling inspired, motivated and most of and most of all having a greater appreciation for self – love.

Professor Kendrick is a Hidden Figure
Ten years ago, the then Director of Accounting, the late Jacob Lamar, approached Professor Stephanie Kendrick to take on the role of the club advisor for the Monroe College chapter of the Association of Latino Professor for America (ALPFA). Professor Kendrick did not think twice. She saw it as an opportunity to help more students take advantage of the opportunity to get high quality employment at the top companies that partner with ALPFA. Additionally, she wanted to help Monroe College develop a good reputation at these top firms and in the general workplace at large. Professor Kendrick explained that her motivation is her commitment and concern for the community and giving students the opportunity to reach their greatest potential; which for most students means leaving college with a good job. For many ALPFA club members, Professor Kendrick is their greatest supporter and motivator. Professor Kendrick says that good quality employment for college graduates help the student, their families and our community at large.  This is in keeping with the mission of Monroe College to make a difference in people’s lives. Professor Kendrick explained that her greatest reward is seeing students she worked with mature and gain confidence in themselves they use their education at Monroe College and the ALPFA organization to get great jobs and function as responsible professionals in the workplace. Many students have acquired jobs with top accounting firms because of professor’s Kendrick commitment, passion and dedication.  Professor Kendrick stated, “being a club advisor takes a great deal of patience and commitment, and a strong belief that what you are trying to do for students is important; even if all of the students you try to help don’t realize the importance of what you are doing.”

When asked how important are clubs and organzations on campus, Professor Kendrick explained; “clubs are a great way for students to develop vital skills they will need in the workplace, such as good oral and written communication skills, networking skills, and their ability to work in groups.  Additionally, employers prefer to hire students who participate in extracurricular activities. 

Club Members Attend Conference In Texas
Seven members of the NSMH club represented the School of Hospitality Management at the NSMH National Conference in Houston, Texas. The conference which was held from February 20-23, exposed students to various workshops such as Personal Branding, Situations and Scenarios: What Would You Do, Looking Beyond Hotels and Restaurants, When Hospitality Hurts, and Working Internationally.  One of the major highlights of the conference was the Career Fair, which drew participation from recruiters of leading hospitality companies, such as Hyatt, Hilton, Four Seasons, Aramark, and Red Lobster.  These companies interviewed students for their Management Trainee and internship programs. Club Advisor, Professor St. Clair Thompson, accompanied the students at the conference. The National Society of Minorities in Hospitality is a 501 C-3 non-profit student run organization.  Since its founding at Cornell University in 1989, this professional trade organization has grown from 4 members to over 1600 members. The organization prides itself on providing its members with a competitive advantage through programs and conferences.

Jess Ann Thompson says goodbye to Monroe after 8 semester

At 16 years, Jess Ann Thompson graduated from Bronx Guild High School in June, 2017 and got a jump start to her college education by enrolling in the Early Start Program in August 2017. Jess Ann was an exceptional student. This is her reflection. 

What was the best thing about being at Monroe College?
The best thing about being at Monroe is the environment and the relationship between faculty, staff and students. The friendly environment makes you feel welcome and both staff and faculty know us by name. They always ensured that we were doing good and kept up with our classes.

What has been the best experience for you at Monroe College?
The best experience for me at Monroe was having dinner at a Japanese Hibachi restaurant with President Jerome and other students. Students do not always get the opportunity to meet the executives or president of their schools, unless there is an event being held. President Jerome loves and takes care of his students, and makes himself available to them if they need help or if they just want to stop by to say hi. He’s always walking around on campus greeting everyone and making sure they are doing great.

What did you accomplish throughout your time at Monroe College? 
I was a presidential scholarship recipient, a club president, an orientation leader, an honor’s student and a student worker. In Winter 2018, I was recruited to be a member of the Monroe Student Leadership Club which allowed me to be known on campus. I served as a Student Orientation Leader in Summer and Fall 2018. I also attended the Association of Promotion for Campus Activities conference with the Student Activities Department in Pennsylvania. Along with the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. K. Carty, I also had an opportunity to do a presentation to the high school students.  I am a part of the Delta Mu Delta International Society in Business, a member of the Monroe Readers Club and an inducted member of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS). As an Honors student, I have also made it on the Presidents’ Awards List all eight semesters.

Who was the most influential person to you at Monroe college and why?
The most influential person to me at Monroe is Mrs. Laurent. I call her my “school mom.” I’ve known her since I started Monroe in 2017. She recruited me to be a member of the Monroe Student Leadership Club, she was also a great club mentor to me every step of the way. Her honest and constructive criticism allowed me to reevaluate my decisions which contributed to my professional growth as a student. 

Now that you’ve completed your requirements for your Bachelor’s Degree, what’s next?
My next move is to hopefully secure a position in the Accounting or Business field, as well as enrolling in a Master’s Degree program to accomplish my career end goals

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?
My advice to incoming freshmen is to have an open mind and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Starting college can be very scary. Try to attend events on and off campus. This will allow you to network and develop new relationships. Do not be the student who comes to class and head home. You might be shy at first, but overtime as you meet people and are offered opportunities, you will blossom beyond what you imagined. 

Why is it important to be a part of clubs and organizations?
It is important to be a part of clubs and organizations because you get to meet new people and build relationships. There are many opportunities and benefits that will help you develop great skills that can help you grow as an individual. You become more open to different ideas and events that make you feel included by being a part of a group of people that share the same interest as you.