KU News Release

More than 450 junior, senior high school students attend Black Leadership event

LAWRENCE - More than 450 students from area junior high and high schools spent Oct. 20 at KU to take part in special workshops and related events at the 20th Black Leadership Symposium at the Kansas Union.

Each year, the symposium brings African-American students and their faculty sponsors to KU. Student participation is coordinated through schools and based on leadership potential, with preference given to those with a 3.25 precollege grade-point average. Program workshops and events were focused on leadership, the importance of postsecondary education and preparation for college. This year, students came from 39 schools in Kansas as well as in Kansas City, Mo., and Des Moines, Iowa.

KU minority enrollment has nearly doubled in the last 20 years and is at its highest-ever level, the university announced in September. Minority students now make up 11.9 percent of KU's overall enrollment, also at record levels at 29,624 students, according to 20th day figures released by the Kansas Board of Regents. For the fall 2005 semester, minority enrollment overall increased to 3,537 students, or by 3.4 percent, its largest percentage growth rate.

" Focus on the Future: Strengthening Youth, Families and Our Communities" was the theme for this year's symposium. The conference is sponsored by KU's Office of the Provost, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Office of Admissions and Scholarships, Multicultural Resource Center and KU Continuing Education.

Pearl Rovaris-MacDonald, Overland Park motivational speaker and seminar leader, gave the keynote address. A native of Topeka , she received a bachelor's in psychology in 1991 from KU. She also is an improvisational comedian for ComedyCity in Kansas City, Mo.

As part of the symposium, Seth Galemore, Chanute High School senior, was named the $100 winner of the "Reading Gets You There" contest for his review essay on Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington. Galemore, who was unable to attend, was recognized along with his sponsoring high school counselor, Jeff Williams, by Marshall Jackson, associate director of the Academic Achievement and Access Center.

Kriston Guillot, Shawnee senior in business administration; Jacqulyn Love, Olathe junior in communication studies; and Rona Remmie, Kansas City, Mo., sophomore in English and philosophy, were student symposium coordinators for the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Guillot, the son of Joyce Johnson and a graduate of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, is president of the Black Student Union. Remmie, who is KU Black Student Union vice president, is the daughter of Chea Tardey and a graduate of North Kansas City High School. Love is the daughter of Bobby and Benita Love and an Olathe North High School graduate.

Guillot, Love and Remmie also led a question-and-answer session on university life. Other activities included a multicultural information fair featuring programs and resources available to KU students. Antwione Haywood, assistant complex director for Ellsworth Residence Hall, was master of ceremonies for a student talent show that concluded the day's events.

Anthony Daniels, special events coordinator for KU Athletics, led the black male leadership workshop. Tammara Durham, director of the Freshman-Sophomore Advising Center, was in charge of the black female leadership sessions. Pamela Scott, associate director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, met with the students' faculty advisers and counselors.

Other KU program participants were Marlesa Roney, vice provost in the Office of Student Success; Kerri Lesh, multicultural admissions counselor, Andre Fortune, assistant director, and Claudia Mercado, associate director, all of the Office of Admissions and Scholarships; Brenda Maigaard, director of the Office of Student Financial Aid; Santos Nunez, program director of the Multicultural Resource Center; and Renate R. Mai-Dalton, associate professor of business and director and founder of the Multicultural Business Scholars Program as well as director of KU Multicultural Scholars Programs.

Names of students who attended are listed below by name, high school, high school city and state.

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