A2MEND hosted an event at Bakersfield College “A2MEND Barbershop Talk: Leadership and Responsibility” on Feb. 26 inside the fireside room. This event highlighted the importance of knowledge and shaping your future with the right mindset for greater opportunities and guides their focus to the best of their abilities.
A2MEND (African-American Male Education Network Development) is a program at Bakersfield College that aims to improve the academic success and personal growth for African-American males. The program targets important skills such as leadership, community service involvement, network, social awareness, and responsibility.
Sunni Crawford, a former student of A2MEND, discusses how much the program impacted his life as a teenager. “A2MEND taught me the mentality that I am strong. It showed me that I can do it just like how they can do it and there’s no excuses. They showed you the way, the only thing you had to do was listen and get out of that comfort zone.” Developing and maintaining a strong mindset is a key aspect in life that drives an individual to the best of their ability. A2MEND opens opportunities to help future scholars and is a great way to expand the knowledge that is being taught and passed down from one to another, creating a positive change in communities.
Lewis Neil, supervisor for BCSD, gave students advice on how they should think when put in certain situations that can leave them a negative outcome. Neil mentions, “Don’t follow the crowd, be who you are.”
“I did not care what they called me… As I went to college, they’re still hanging out and I’m not hanging out. I’m going to class. After I’m done, then I go back to the park because I’ve got my stuff done. I’m having just as much fun. It’s priorities. That comes first.” Neil adds his own personal life experience as an example to demonstrate how certain things must be handled first before focusing on activities that aren’t as important.
Students can oftentimes get distracted when certain events or activities come up into play. Social times will always be around but getting the things that have the most value to them should be done on time with no worries, while progressing as a student at Bakersfield College.