Lone Star College-CyFair’s first Male Summit featured keynote speaker Vaughaligan “Von Won” Walwyn, an NCAA All-American athlete and U.S. Virgin Island national long jump record holder.
Walwyn, who is now an inspirational recording artist and powerful motivational speaker, gave a presentation on “D.R.E.A.M.S.S.” which stood for Dare, Research, Execute, Ambition, Motivation, Sacrifice and Sky is the limit.
In addition to Walwyn’s presentation, this event included three “Man Talk” sessions: “Finding Your Purpose”, “What is Manhood” and “Handling Difficult Situations” with the Houston Rockets Chaplain Mike Rosas, LSC-Tomball New Student Orientation Program Coordinator Richard Lewis and Harris County Deputy W.M. Drew, Jr. respectively.
LSC-CyFair student Asa McClellan shared his summary notes from the event which included two take-aways from Walwyn - “Read books, read books, read books. Get a mentor. Get up every morning and celebrate yourself” and “We have to learn to respect authority, and shouldn’t be swayed not to by popular icons.”
Highlights from Rosas’s talk focused on self-encouragement, discovering one’s greatness and actualizing it as well as combining one’s strengths to make a whole living. While Lewis talked about suggestive marketing related to manhood as well as waking up, paying attention and looking at things from another’s perspective, he told participants to ask themselves “what kind of man they are”, to find meaning that will get them out of bed and keep going, to be humble and to be a man of their word. Deputy Drew said decisions made now will be carried with them the rest of their life so give parents the benefit of the doubt and get to know positive people.
Among the evaluation comments given about the speakers and event were “amazing, really impacted me”, “very motivational”, “informative, insightful, kept my attention” and one attendee wrote “Thanks for taking a stance to better our future,” said event coordinator, Dr. Rodrick Moore
This inaugural Male Summit was deemed a success with more than 65 students from five Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District high schools as well as LSC-CyFair, LSC-Tomball and LSC-Kingwood in attendance, said Moore.
For event information, email Rodrick.Moore@LoneStar.edu.