On Monday, Feb. 24, in celebration of Black History Month, Moorpark College hosted a seminar, “Challenges Create Champions: Student Success Workshop,” with guest speaker Khalid White.
White is a filmmaker, entrepreneur and professor of African American Studies at San Jose City College. He is also the owner of BLKMPWR, an education company focused on creating original multimedia content to empower audiences and advance equity.
“One thing I’m doing is actualizing student success, or trying to help students reach their own version of success,” White said. “Our success is linked together, and on top of that, I just want to be an example to students of a supportive person who’s in their corner.”
The workshop began with White speaking on the challenges that individuals face and how to overcome them to succeed. He encouraged listeners to write down the names of people they can rely on in their lives to form support groups to assist in any struggles they go through.
“We want to go from stress to success,” White said.
White said all students will experience feelings of doubt throughout their educational journey. He presented detailed statistics and showcased how different the higher education system can be for everyone, pointing out that a majority of community college students take four to six years to graduate.
White then went on to discuss the psychological phenomenon of imposter syndrome with attendees.
“[some symptoms] include lack of self-confidence, feelings of inadequacy, constant comparison to other people, anxiety,” White said.
To negate these harmful thoughts, White went over different ways to overcome these feelings. Advice he gave to students included utilizing the support system created earlier and practicing self-confidence through positive reinforcement.
“Stop comparing yourself and your journey, your success looks different,” White said.
In addition, White encouraged students not to rely so heavily on the opinions of others, which can contribute to negative feelings in life.
“Somebody’s opinion of you is not your business. You are in the right place, at the right time, to do the things that you want to do,” White said.
White’s message resonated with those in attendance, including Moorpark College student October Taylor.
“I really thought it was insightful and inspiring,” Taylor said.
Mostafa Ghous, the vice president of the office of student support, also attended the event and encouraged students to take advantage of guest speaker opportunities and workshops on campus.
“I think it’s important for our students to really get a better understanding of some of the nuances and feelings and just the emotions that they go through,” Ghous said.
To view upcoming student success events at Moorpark College, click here.
