Worcester State University’s Third Annual Brotherhood and Sisterhood Leadership Conference recently brought together nearly 300 high school and university students from across Massachusetts to learn from distinguished speakers and panelists.
The conference was designed to empower high school students and college students through team-building workshops and to foster a connection to a network of first-generation and/or the ALANA/BIPOC community (African, Latine, Asian, and Native American and/or Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). The conference theme was “Creating a Pathway for Leadership and a Network for the Future.”
The event celebrated Worcester State’s 150th anniversary and its history of educating diverse populations. It featured presentations and panels from university leaders, alumni, and experts from a variety of fields.
The Multicultural Wellness Center was the conference’s fiscal cosponsor through funding from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The Multicultural Wellness Center is a mental health center in Worcester founded in 2005 by Dr. Debra Maddox ’82, who will also be Worcester State University’s 2025 Commencement Speaker.
Ryan Forsythe, vice president for enrollment management, welcomed attendees and told them that Worcester State University is an open university where they are welcomed. “When you leave here today, you will leave with hands-on tools to use as you navigate the pathways through high school, through college, and into a career,” he said.
A highlight of the day was a thought-provoking morning’s opening panel discussion between Rev. Dr. Paul McAllister, founder and president of the Global Leaders for Unity think tank, and Emmanuel Larbi, a noted Worcester-based entrepreneur. The panel moderator was Manasseh Konadu, Esq., a lawyer and 2019 graduate of Worcester State who currently serves as an assistant attorney general in Chicago.
Before introducing the panelists, Attorney Konadu urged attendees to get involved and participate in their communities. “Finding something to get involved in will give dividends along the way–whether it’s politically, educationally, or socially,” he said.
The two panelists offered complementary perspectives on the nature of progress and how young people can drive positive change in their communities. McAllister emphasized that progress is more than simply the end result: equally important is being committed to the process and purpose. “It’s not just about getting the job done, but how you apply yourself consistently,” he said. He shared how his own career path shifted from engineering to ministry, underscoring the importance of trusting one’s intuition when faced with pivotal life decisions.
Larbi echoed this sentiment, recounting his transition from medical research to entrepreneurship. “Life will often present opportunities, and the power of choice is crucial,” he said. “When you don’t have all the data to make an informed decision, you have to rely on your instinct.” Both speakers stressed that progress is a collective endeavor, not an individual pursuit.
Drawing on the wisdom of leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the panelists encouraged the students to overcome their fears and get involved in their communities. “Your greatest enemy is the enemy within: fear itself,” McAllister said. Larbi added that service and participation, whether in politics, education, or social causes, are the keys to driving meaningful progress.
The conference included a wide array of breakout sessions on topics ranging from how to get out of debt, to careers in the life sciences, to drumming for health and healing, to advice on moving out and living on your own.
Priscilla Espinosa ’06 was one of several alumni featured at the conference. She led a workshop titled “Elevate Your Lifestyle on a Budget: From Population Health to Personal Health.” The workshop focused on promoting healthy, affordable living through food-based initiatives.
Espinosa discussed her past work on a public health program that focused on using food as medicine, which was featured at a White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. She emphasized the importance of addressing social determinants of health, such as access to fresh, healthy foods in underserved communities.
“My goal is to empower each and every one of you. And collectively, you empower your community, and collectively, your communities empower us to have healthier public health,” she said.
Espinosa taught attendees how to make low-cost, probiotic-rich cultured vegetables and highlighted the benefits of fermented foods for gut health, mental health, and overall wellness. She recommended eating them regularly.
“Probiotics are essential microorganisms that we need in our gut for mental health, for hormonal balance, and even for managing our weight,” she said. “We need to eat them for everyday life, but I especially try to do it whenever I’m stressed or whenever I have big activities.”
Hollins encouraged workshop participants to create symbolic masks representing their public and private selves. Using a blank white mask and art supplies like markers, colored pencils, and magazine clippings, attendees designed the outward face they present to the world and the inner thoughts and emotions they often keep hidden. The activity prompted reflection on how societal expectations, peer pressure, and other
factors influence the “masks” people wear in their daily lives.
Hollins’ openness in sharing his personal experiences set the stage for a thoughtful discussion on the complex interplay between one’s public persona and private self.
Jamesetta Kollie, a Burncoat High School senior, said the workshop provided a meaningful opportunity to explore the duality of her identity and expression of emotions. “I often appear happy on the outside but struggle with overthinking and pressure on the inside,” she said.
Another student, Zuowanna Pennant, a sophomore at Springfield Technical Community College, said the exercise revealed how people’s true emotions may differ from their outward appearance.
“People see you all happy on the outside, but they don’t know how you’re feeling deep down inside,” she said. “They don’t know your true emotions and everything that’s going on with you in your personal life. I think this was an eye-opener that reminded you to reflect and look at everything that’s really taking place.”
Lisa Maddox, ’94, director of business development and community outreach for the Multicultural Wellness Center, facilitated two workshops at the conference: “From Microaggressions to Microresistance: A Restorative Practice,” and “Healing the Discomfort of Racial Trauma.” The Brotherhood & Sisterhood conference is a much-needed forum to help youth engage in conversations about social issues impacting them in various life domains and to learn skills to navigate these social issues. This conference provided youth a “brave space” to be transparent about their experiences in this changing political landscape. The Multicultural Wellness Center is proud to support this endeavor to provide youth in Massachusetts with these leadership opportunities.
After the workshops, students attended an Alumni Panel Presentation Luncheon, which was moderated by Kimberly Salmon, assistant vice-president for The Hanover Insurance Group and featured noted alumni such as Melanie Bonsu, ’05 community relations manager, Saint Gobain; Sheldon Hollins, ’98 psychiatric nurse practitioner, Helpful Hand; Joseph Corazzini, ’06 vice president for government and community affairs at Clark University; Nana Darkwa, Esq., ’19 associate, ArentFox Schiff; and Cynthia Romero, Esq., ’14 Co-Founder/Managing Partner, Heirloom Law. Felicia Rifflemacher, executive director of development & alumni relations, who shared that the conference fostered a sense of excitement and community that was palpable. The panel discussion with Worcester State Alumni was inspirational and showed off the excellence that our alumni bring to their professional roles and communities,Laxmi Bissoondial 02’, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, said.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), along with the OMA Student Ambassadors and several academic departments such as the Admissions Office, Graduate Admissions, Department of Sociology, Department of World Languages, Department of History and Political Science, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Psychology, Office of Inclusive Excellence and Belonging, and the Advancement & Alumni department collaborated on the conference to foster student, alumni, and community engagement. “The Brotherhood Sisterhood Leadership Conference committee is an example of how leadership is a group function; through meaningful conversations, valuable collaborations, and innovative ideas is what fuels the work forward,” Bissoondial said.
Another financial co-sponsor was the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Office of Problem Gambling Services. The public health principles of engagement, empowerment, and equity guide the Office of Problem Gambling Services. Carla Orellana, ’17, director/project manager of the Gambling Prevention Program at Worcester State, along with Walter Ordoñez, program coordinator, facilitated a workshop on ‘Are You Really Winning? A Workshop About Gambling Prevention.”
To learn more about the even visit www.worcester.edu/oma
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