Nov. 30, 2014
Innovative Approach to Intellectually Empower Struggling College Students of Color
By Eddie Banks-Crosson
Eddie Banks-Crosson, founder, Collegiate Catalyst
Jesse Mejia, founder, Collegiate Catalyst
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Our education system is falling behind on many levels. Our school systems continue to churn out as many delinquents as graduates and those who are lucky enough to get into college often don't graduate. The opportunity gap for students of color to find success in college and after college is widening, and there are few resources dedicated to address the shortfall. Aside from financial issues, many students of color are not equipped to deal with the massive cultural differences on campus. The amount of advising to help low-income, minority, first-generation college students navigate the on-campus systems is inconsistent, but yet, students are expected to flourish. At present, the college graduation rate for African-American males is 42 percent and 41 percent for Latinos. While the numbers are disturbing, there is a growing momentum to turn the tides.
We launched Collegiate Catalyst, a higher learning advisory company, with the single purpose to teach students of color how to successfully transition into adulthood. Jesse Mejia is the son of immigrants from El Salvador. Eddie Banks-Crosson, is the bi-racial son of an African-American father and an Irish mother. We both came from humble beginnings. Jesse grew up in grew up in South-Central Los Angeles, specifically on 103rd Street and Broadway, approximately eight miles from the Watts Towers, Compton, Crenshaw and every other neighborhood that Hollywood wanted to glorify as "cool."
Eddie lived with his mother and grew up in a trailer park near Birmingham, Alabama. College was not easy for either of us, but we made it because we sought mentors to help us navigate through the hidden culture that is present at every university. Seeking mentors provided us with the opportunity to transition into life after college successfully, and now, we are teaching students how to pursue their college experience to ensure they too will have a launching pad to start their careers.
At Collegiate Catalyst, we leverage our rich background in corporate America and blend leadership strategies into student affairs by focusing on four key retreat style workshops that address social, academic and career needs:
- My Brother’s Keeper – Enhancing opportunities in the business and leadership arenas for men of color.
- When Good is Not Enough – How students of color can achieve success in Corporate America
- Teach LGBTQ – Discussing masculinity and gender identity with the African-American and Latino culture and creating a community to support our fellow brothers and sisters who identify with the LGBTQ community
- 100 days to Organizational Excellence – Developing a strategic plan and initiatives for fraternities and sororities to excel on campus
We base our approach to these issues from a combined 30 years of experience in corporate America and student affairs. We understand the challenge that colleges and universities face. Currently, our universities are not designed to provide a deeper level of mentoring for underrepresented students of color. Many students are left to figure life out on their own, but with a purpose-driven company such as ours, we will make the necessary strides to work in conjunction with colleges and universities to support their effort to groom the next generation of leaders of color. Ultimately, this is a goal we can all share.
Eddie Banks-Crosson and Jesse Mejia are founders of Collegiate Catalyst. To learn more about Collegiate Catalyst or to learn more about our workshop/keynote services, please visit our website atwww.CollegiateCatalyst.com