WCBC

January 14th, 2020 by WCBC Radio

Allegany College of Maryland will host a grand opening celebration of the ACM Unity Center from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21, 2020. The event kicks off in the Zimmer Theatre in College Center. Attendees will learn about the Center's goals and hear from ACM's Aspiring Young MENtors, a peer-mentoring group. Cornell Tafari Bailey, a guest speaker who has appeared at college campuses across the U.S., will offer advice on how to "Awaken the Leader Within."

 

Bailey, a leadership consultant with Magnum Opus Leadership, specializes in helping individuals identify and seize opportunity while discovering their personal leadership, working primarily with the millennial generation. An enigmatic speaker, he served his country as a Ship’s Serviceman/Intelligence Analyst with U.S. Navy, worked for the U.S. Department of Labor and led a startup company. Bailey, who is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Business Psychology, holds an M.S. in Human Resources Development from Villanova University and B.S. in Psychology from the University of West Georgia. The new Unity Center, located in Room 66 of the Humanities Building, will be open for tours and light refreshments following Bailey’s presentation.

 

The Unity Center’s mission is to provide a space for multicultural learning opportunities that engage students, faculty and staff in meaningful ways. It will serve as an educational space for ACM’s many campus groups and clubs, including Aspiring Young MENtors (AYM) who will use the Center as their headquarters for activities.

 

AYM, founded in 2018, is a group of African American male mentors and emerging mentors who help guide, encourage and support other African American male students on campus. AYM mentors emphasize connection and a sense of belonging for student-mentees who may be having a hard time adjusting socially to college or struggling to adapt to the demands of college courses. Students receive training on accessing campus resources, time-management, goal setting and other topics they identify as important to their success.  

 

The creation and management of the ACM Unity Center is a collaborative effort. Ashley Dively, assistant chair of Academic Development, shepherded the Unity Center’s creation. Charlene Smith, administrative assistant to the Vice President of Finance and Administration, managed the purchase of new furniture and decorative elements. The College’s Maintenance staff prepared the space. Faculty and staff applied for additional grant funds to hopefully purchase computers for student use.

 

Moving forward, Brenda Mathews, faculty/administrative assistant in the Humanities Department, will handle the scheduling of on-campus groups wishing to use the Unity Center. The Institutional and Student Affairs Office will manage the Center with coordination provided by ACM work-study students.

 

All are welcome to attend the grand opening celebration of the Unity Center. For more information, call 301-784-5005.

 

PHOTO CAPTION: Cornell Tafari Bailey, a speaker who has appeared at college campuses across the U.S., will offer advice on how to "Awaken the Leader Within" during the grand opening celebration of Allegany College of Maryland’s Unity Center from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21. The celebration will kick-off in the Zimmer Theatre in College Center. All are welcome to attend.