Willowbrook students and alumni participate in College of DuPage 2018 Black Student Leadership Conference

Left: Pictured is Willowbrook alumnus Adrian Abrams (class of 2014), who served as the keynote speaker during the 2018 Black Student Leadership Conference on Oct. 18 at College of DuPage. Abrams is a published author, and each participant at the conference received a copy of his book, “A.T.T.E.N.D.: A Hustler's Guide To Hacking College.” Right: Abrams presents about “The Audacity of Power, Passion and Purpose” during the conference.

Left and right: Willowbrook alumnae Shantel Powell (center, class of 2016) and Zakisha Hudson (right, class of 2015) speak with students during a college student panel at the 2018 Black Student Leadership Conference on Oct. 18 at College of DuPage.

On Oct. 18, a group of Willowbrook students attended the 2018 Black Student Leadership Conference at College of DuPage. During that conference, about 400 African-American high school students from throughout DuPage County participated in a college admission panel, a college student panel, an admission activity and a cultural awareness session. The students also had an opportunity to attend an African-American Activity Fair.

Willowbrook alumnae Shantel Powell (class of 2016) and Zakisha Hudson (class of 2015) were part of the college student panel. And Willowbrook alumnus Adrian Abrams (class of 2014) served as the keynote speaker for the conference, with a focus on “The Audacity of Power, Passion and Purpose.” Abrams used storytelling to share his message and spoke about his journey of discovering the audacity of power, passion and purpose concurrently with the idea of finding home.

“I hope participants took away that one’s journey will most likely deviate from their predetermined plans,” Abrams said. “Rather, it’s about once these deviations occur – whether positive or negative – how one responds will likely be their defining moments. Along those same lines, I hope the students took away it’s OK to be honest about the ups and downs in one’s journey; painting a false narrative does more harm than good in the grand scheme of things. Getting a chance to connect with all of those students, the next generation of leaders, was one of the few moments in my entire life where I’ve felt like I was exactly where I needed to be.”

Abrams is a published author, and each participant at the conference received a copy of his book, “A.T.T.E.N.D.: A Hustler's Guide To Hacking College.” For more information about his book, go to https://tinyurl.com/AdrianAbramsBook.

Willowbrook Guidance Director Dana Whittaker and Willowbrook counselor LeVar Ammons helped coordinate the conference. Abrams said Whittaker and Ammons provided a unique and tailored counseling experience to support him during high school, and they have continued to be in touch throughout his journey.

For more information about the conference, go to https://tinyurl.com/y99qagxl.