3rd Annual Leadership Summit

View our full event page: https://www.georgiafirstgen.org/2021-leadership-summit

8:30 - 9:00 am Check In

9:00 - 9:30 am Opening Remarks

Students will get to hear from leaders within the Georgia First Generation Foundation and the University of North Georgia.

 9:30 - 10:00 am Keynote Speaker

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Aisha received her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Political Science from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She started a career in admissions at her alma mater that eventually led her to Atlanta to continue her work in professional education, focusing on diversity in the areas of enrollment and retention while owning dollar stores in the greater Atlanta area. Aisha later received her Juris Doctorate from Lincoln Memorial University, where she served as President and Sub-Region Director of the Black Law Student Association, as well as other leadership positions in organizations such as the Women’s Law Society, Immigration Law Society and OUTLaw, an organization to support the LGBTQIA+ community. Aisha is the co-editor for the book entitled Human Trafficking (Taylor-Page, Piatt, Jr. Carolina Academic Press) which addresses the legal psychological, and moral effects of sex and labor trafficking. She has worked in the area of Title IX and Compliance addressing issues around sexual misconduct and gender-based discrimination. She is currently the Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Gas South. Aisha serves on advisory boards and diversity councils both locally and nationally. She is a podcaster for a show entitled “Dad, Daughter Dialogues,” which explores the intersectionality of life between her and her Father. Aisha also is the founder/member of ADJ Consultants and creator of aishadeberry.com, an inclusive site where she holds live sessions and masterclasses in the areas of DEI.

 10:00 - 11:00 am College Major Sessions

Students will meet with professors and have discussions and activities related to the professor's field of work.

 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Lunch & College Fair

Students will be provided lunch and will have the opportunity to participate in a college fair.

 12:30 - 1:30 pm Career Sessions

Students will meet with career professionals and have interactive discussions and activities related to the guests' field of work. Here are the selected programs students can choose from:

BUSINESS

Ana Maria Villegas Government and Public Services Analyst at Deloitte

​First-Generation Americans are often faced with the challenge of making decisions with limited information and resources. A common example is deciding where to go to college, how to pay for college, and what to study. You may not have guidance or sufficient financial funds, but it is imperative to make the best decision for your future. Choosing a career in business will provide you the skills to become a successful decision maker through economic principles and critical thinking. This is a skill that can be applied in not only your career, but in all aspects of your life. Get a glimpse of what a career in business consulting looks like through this interactive case study session. We will replicate a real-life situation and use limited information to plan the most effective and efficient outcome and create a plan of action.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)

Jared Luke Network Services Team Lead at Safe Systems

Leah Zarzour IT Analyst at NCR Corporation

Fortune Onwuzuruike Security Program Manager at Microsoft

Technology can be a powerful tool for transforming learning. It can help affirm and advance relationships between educators and students, reinvent our approaches to learning and collaboration, shrink long-standing equity and accessibility gaps, and adapt learning experiences to meet the needs of all learners. In a time where technology is at the forefront of many countless lives, we have invited professionals from different IT fields to discuss the relevance of information technology in a reengineered environment of COVID.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Daniel Milan, MPH Data Analyst at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a frontline health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has a demonstrated working knowledge of the community and individuals served. CHWs often share life experiences, language, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status with the community in which they serve, increasing their understanding of patient needs and concerns. This session will discuss Community Health Workers (CHWs) and the essential role they play in health equity, and will include insights from a first-generation Goizueta scholar who recently received his Masters in Public Health and now works for the CDC.

LAW

Hayley Nicolich Associate Attorney at Andersen, Tate & Carr, P.C.

Sami Tabbaa, Esq. Managing Attorney at Tabbaa Law

The power of debate is instrumental in any professional career. The roles of attorney have grown over the last several years to encompass the art of public speaking and the ability to prepare to defend issues with supportive evidence. Two local attorney moderate several rounds of debates between students in an effort to demonstrate the necessary hard and soft skills necessary to be successful public speakers and defenders of the law.

 1:30 - 2:30 pm FirstGen Student Panel

Current college students will sit on a panel and answer student-specific questions regarding their current experiences.

 2:30 - 3:00 pm Awards Ceremony

We will close the Summit by recognizing students and community members for their efforts in ​making the first generation the next generation.

 2021 Dr. Bobby Gueh Leadership Award Recipient 

Leri Argueta, MPA, serves as the Associate Director for Diversity Recruitment at the University of North Georgia. In his role, he develops and implements diversity recruitment plans to include activities and events related to admissions, financial aid, and persistence for under-served students/families, high school counselors, community-based organizations, and access programs. Argueta also serves as the Principal Investigator for the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) Scholarships (Becas) Program in partnership with the Consulado General de Mécxico en Atlanta, managing a $30,000 budget for the program. 

 ​Before joining the University of North Georgia, Argueta was the Interim Associate Director of Programs for Beyond 12, a technology-based service nonprofit whose mission is to increase the number of historically underrepresented students who graduate from our nation’s colleges and universities. Mr. Argueta participated as a 2020-2021 Fellow in the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Policy Fellowship Program and is a Graduate of the GALEO Institute for Leadership and the North-American Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute. Argueta’s alma mater, the University of West Georgia, recognized him as the recipient of the 2020 Lillian Williams Champion of Diversity Award for his work in strengthening the fabric of his community and creating opportunities that foster cultural growth. He was also recognized as one of UWG’s Thriving Under 30, recognizing young alumni under the age of 30 that have made a significant impact in their career industry while exhibiting dedication to UWG and representing the university well. Argueta is the recipient of the 2021 Myron G. Burney Award for Inclusion and Access from the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling. Leri earned his Bachelors in International Economic Affairs and his Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in Educational Leadership from the University of West Georgia.