The Black and Brown Scholars of Skyline College and Brothers Empowering Brothers of the College of San Mateo were invited as special guest presenters at the Strengthening Student Success Conference, hosted by the RP Group for the California Community Colleges, on Wednesday, October 8. Our session, “Loyal to the Soil: Cultivating Experiences for Men of Color,” spotlighted an inspirational student panel sharing real stories of navigating complex institutional systems. Centering brotherhood, leadership, mentorship, and civic engagement as pillars of success, students identified barriers and the community practices that helped them persist—while calling on institutions to move from performative to practice-based equity.
Participants were able to experience the following highlights:
● Student Power: Panelists reflected on belonging, culturally relevant counseling, and the impact of faculty who “see us, not just our schedules.”
● Actionable Strategies: Participants left with concrete strategies—relationship-based onboarding, culturally responsive counseling, student-informed activities, and intentional campus partnerships that addressed our students’ immediate needs.
● Engagement & Energy: Audience dialogue was rich, with campus teams exploring how to replicate BBS/BEB approaches within their programs.
● Lived Wisdom: A powerful throughline: “Resources matter, but relationships mean everything.”
The session’s impact was very real, as we learned that we need to continue elevating our students’ voices as evidence and a roadmap for institutional change, and strengthen a whole-college coalition committed to the success of our men of color. The attendees also expressed the importance of collaboration, site visits, and shared toolkits.
Additionally, one of our students, Adam Rodriguez, served as one of the main student panelists at the conference to speak about their college experiences and ways institutions can better support our students. The student panel kicked off the entire conference, providing the much-needed energy and enthusiasm to collaborate with colleagues across California’s community colleges in support of student success.
For more information about the Black and Brown Scholars, you can visit https://skylinecollege.edu/bbs/.
Article by Dr. Nate Nevado
Photos by BBS
