BREMERTON — Computer information systems. Music composition. Aeronautical engineering. Teacher.

These are only a few of the desired majors for high school students who participated in Olympic College’s Men of Color Summit Friday, May 20, which was held to help encourage them to continue their education after high school and to persevere in college even when it might present challenges.

The summit saw more than 70 male students of color from nearby high schools visit OC in an effort to expose them to the college environment and encourage them to continue their education past high school.

“I never had this opportunity when I grew up in Brooklyn,” said Drayton Jackson, current and outgoing student body president, during one of the summit’s workshops. “The majority of our counselors and our teachers said to us, ‘Don’t worry about it, don’t worry about going to college, because most of you are going to jail.’

“That was literally said to us,” Jackson said. “So you’ve got to understand, to get these opportunities, to be able to speak in front of people or to sit in front of people that want to help you go forward, take that.”

Juniors and seniors from Washington Youth Academy, North Mason High School, Olympic High School, Bremerton High School, Kingston High School and South Kitsap High School all headed to OC’s Bremerton Campus at 8:30 a.m. for the day-long summit. It included opening comments, three workshops to help overcome obstacles, a barbecue lunch and giveaways for an iPod and a $500 scholarship to go towards college for one of the seniors, chosen at random.

Current and outgoing student body president Drayton Jackson leads Olympic College’s Men of Color Summit May 20. Photo by Michelle Beahm

Damon Bell, OC’s vice president for student services, organized this event.

“In the literature, it talks about how our men of color are not progressing in college at the same rate as their peers,” Bell said. “This is an event I wanted to put together for high school men of color to expose them to college, so when they get here, they would have some sense of college and they would be successful by having exposure to college.”

The first Men of Color Summit was held May 15, 2015, and had between 50 and 60 students attend, Bell said. Of those, he said about half were seniors, and six or seven of those seniors began attending OC in fall 2015

These programs are a part of Destination OC; they held a related summit in the fall quarter at their Shelton location, specifically to boost latino student success.

“We’re going to continue to grow our destination program and branch out to other student groups that might have a need,” Bell said. “For example, we may do one in the future for LGBTQ+ students, we’ll do one for women and we’ll done one for other groups we feel really need the extra support in the high school, junior high school area, as well.

After opening remarks by Bell and Jackson, the students were split into three groups to rotate through the workshops.

“We (had) a panel of men of color from the community talking about their success, their path, so (the students) can see role models and examples of successful men of color in the community,” Bell said. “We have one panel … being done by the president of the student government, and he’s talking about the challenges that you have to overcome to be successful, so as an African American student here, he wants to tell them, these are the challenges I’ve had, this is how you overcome, this is about persistence.”

Jackson, before leading his panel, addressed all students as a whole during the opening ceremony. He introduced himself as a student returning to college in his 40s.

“A lot goes on, in the journey that you go through,” Jackson said. “You’re looking at a gentleman who has six daughters with my ex-wife, and I have two sons with my current wife. And school to me was far gone. I’m just coming out of … my first year with permanent housing. I’ve been homeless for over seven years.

“When you talk about getting that opportunity and coming back again, you’re looking at any challenges you have, don’t worry about it. Trust me, it works out. Don’t think the struggles and anything you’re going through has anything that can make you stop.

“I’m definitely the testament, right in front of you, as someone who has gone through and can go further.”

At the start of the Men of Color Summit workshops, students participate in an ice-breaking exercise, in which they pass around an inflatable ball and answered questions written on it. Photo by Michelle Beahm

During his workshop, he talked about his struggles as a high school student.

“I remember I used to be nothing but the quote unquote nerd,” Jackson said. “It was the worst thing to be, cause everybody used to clown me about it.

“I cared about what people said, so I ended up dumbing myself down. Instead of being that smart student in high school, I was always that guy that was trying to be funny, to make sure I fit in.”

Jackson advised students to always be true to themselves, regardless of what was said about them.

“Make sure that you stay in the realm that you want,” he said. “Parents, friends, girlfriends, teachers — nobody’s going to live your life except you. And today, make sure that you understand, it is your day to learn to be able to go forward.”

Sam Morgan led a workshop for the students, in which he discussed some of the struggles of being a college student.

“With education, you’re going to have some setbacks along the way,” Morgan said, “but you’re going to persevere, and you’re going to have to want it. It’s a goal you have in mind. You have to persist.”

Morgan shared with the students that it’s important to have a strong support system as a college student to help them through the tougher times, including peers, friends, teachers, tutors, counselors and advisors, among other campus resources available.

He also recommended joining student organizations and clubs, as a way to become more involved and integrated in campus life, as well as a way to network and build resumes to help find a job after graduation.

But the main theme of the workshop was persistence.

“Your’e going to have classes that you’re not going to be interested in, but for the purposes of the degree, you’re going to have to take them,” Morgan said. “So trying to make a connection, finding meaning, is really important in every class. It shouldn’t just be about getting the degree and moving on.”

As Jackson told the students during the opening ceremony, “Today’s the day you can go put your education and your future right on point.”