January 2023 Newsletter
Become an A²MEND Donor This New Year
Every African American male deserves an opportunity to attend college to pursue a degree in higher education. As we begin this new year, please join A²MEND in our mission of fostering Black male success in California’s community college system. Your generous contribution will make a difference in the lives of these young men and their…
College Students Encouraged to Join an A²MEND Student Charter
A²MEND’s Student Charter Program offers a student support structure in an affirming environment where African American male students and other men of color are able to thrive. A²MEND’s student charters provide educational, cultural, social and intellectual programs that promote positivity and brotherhood among their members. The aim of A²MEND’s student charters is to improve academic…
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Sponsorships Still Welcome: A²MEND Annual Summit
If you belong to an educational institution, nonprofit or business that is aligned with A²MEND’s mission to support the higher educational goals of African American male students, we invite you to become a sponsor for the A²MEND Annual Summit, an inspirational event taking place in Los Angeles from March 1-3, 2023. Last year, A²MEND brought…
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Munir Omar: A Sense of Belonging
Munir Omar is an A²MEND activist who is a thriving student at Solano Community College. He is currently A²MEND’s student charter president as well as a bright mind in mathematics and technology. Born in Dubai and raised in East Africa, Omar was such an excellent mathematics student that he was able to nab a coveted…
December 2022 Newsletter
Happy Holidays from A²MEND
We at A²MEND thank you for your support of our organization during this past year and as we approach our new year in 2023. Your commitment to A²MEND allows our organization to further our mission of helping African American males students succeed in California’s community college system. We wish you Happy Holidays, and we look…
A²MEND Calls For Proposals Now
A²MEND invites administrators, researchers, staff and faculty as well as nonprofit and community leaders to submit workshop proposals for A²MEND’s 16th Annual Summit slated for this March. Proposals will be judged based on their relevance to the strands, content, quality, applicability and overall connection to issues affecting African American male students and how these strategies…
Become an A²MEND Summit Sponsor Today
Earlier this year, A²MEND brought together 800+ people, 75+ educational entities and 25+ businesses at the organization’s annual summit. If you belong to an educational institution, nonprofit or business that is aligned with A²MEND’s mission to support the higher educational goals of African American male students, we invite you to partner with A²MEND as a…
Da’Monik Millan: Leading with Purpose
Since graduating from Sacramento State University in May, Da’Monik Millan has been busier than ever. He’s been putting his sociology degree to good use by holding three jobs in his career field. He serves as a part-time school intervention staff assistant for the Sacramento City Unified School District while dually working for the district’s nonprofit…
November 2022 Newsletter
Representation Matters Webinar: Nov. 18
Register Here View EEO Handbook
Support A²MEND for This Year’s Giving Tuesday
In celebration of this year’s Giving Tuesday on November 29, please give to A²MEND. Your generous contribution will help A²MEND continue its vital work of fostering institutional change within the California Community College system to increase the success of Black male students. You can contribute to A²MEND on Giving Tuesday by donating here.
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In Memory: A²MEND Mentor Dr. Ned Doffoney
It is with profound sadness that A²MEND announces the recent passing of Dr. Ned Doffoney, a former mentor of the organization. Dr. Doffoney spent more than 40 years serving thousands of community college students, which include leadership roles at the North Orange County Community College District, Fresno City College, Saddleback College, Los Angeles Southwest College,…
Student Mentee Profile: Mike Young
A²MEND student mentee Mike Young has a clear vision of how he’ll use his college degree from San Francisco State University. As a college junior who is majoring in business with a concentration in finance, Young seeks to leverage his education to one day help increase economic growth to the same type of low-income communities…
October 2022 Newsletter
Save-the-Date: A²MEND Annual Summit March 1-3
Join A²MEND as we bring together Black male college students and educators to help find innovative ways to increase the success of Black male students in California’s community college system. The summit’s theme, The Ausar Project: Resurrecting Black Male Success, will cultivate the importance of reestablishing Black male success in community colleges and in communities…
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A²MEND Financially Commits to Ghana Land Acquisition
During last month’s All African Diaspora Education Summit in Ghana, A²MEND’s executive board members made a financial commitment to acquiring 3.3 acres of land in the country. The parcel of land is nestled in the Kanka/Dutch Komenda District located in the Cape Coast region of Ghana. The organization plans to utilize the property to build…
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Master’s Student Ebenezer Ezenwa Credits A²MEND for Direction
In his first year in a master’s program at San Diego State University, 24-year-old Ebenezer Ezenwa has already set his sights on earning a doctorate in counseling to better prepare him for a career in the mental health field. Ezenwa, a first generation American whose parents were born in Africa, received two associate degrees at…
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Educators Transformed at Ghana Summit
More than 600 educators and thought leaders congregated at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana last month to participate in the All African Diaspora Education Summit. Co-sponsored by A²MEND, the summit was organized to create a dynamic, unprecedented space and opportunity for educators to freely and unapologetically reimagine how they teach and serve Black students.…
September 2022 Newsletter
Become an A²MEND Contributor
Every African American male deserves an opportunity to attend college to pursue a degree in higher education. Please join A²MEND in our mission of fostering African American male success in California’s community college system. Your generous contribution will make a difference in the lives of these young men and their promising futures. Become an A²MEND…
College Students Encouraged to Join an A²MEND Campus Charter
A²MEND’s Student Charter Program offers a student support structure that in an affirming environment where African American male students and other men of color are able to thrive. A²MEND’s student charters provide educational, cultural, social and intellectual programs that promote positivity and brotherhood among its members. The aim of A²MEND’s student charters is to improve…
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A²MEND Welcomes Educators to Ghana Summit This Month
A²MEND has invited educators and thought leaders to the University of Cape Coast, Ghana to join them at the All African Diaspora Education Summit held September 19 to 24. This first-ever summit will create a dynamic, unprecedented space and opportunity for educators to freely and unapologetically reimagine how they teach and serve Black students. A²MEND…
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A2MEND Mentee James Butera: From Uganda to UC Riverside
Over the last several years, A²MEND student mentee James Butera has come a long way in his life – literally. Raised in Uganda, Butera managed to graduate from high school and community college before transferring to UC Riverside – just five years after arriving in the U.S. with his parents and siblings to start a…
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August 2022 Newsletter
Become an A²MEND Student Mentee
The A²MEND Mentor Initiative provides support, guidance, professional development and networking opportunities for new and existing students enrolled in a community college based in California. Student mentees also have the opportunity to network with other mentees and mentors within the program through a number of professional development programs and events. Students will be matched with…
Charles Long: A²MEND Mentee’s Journey to UC Berkeley
At age 40 and a single father, Charles Long is reinventing himself by pursuing a college degree later in life. Long recently received his associate’s degree and is now working toward earning his bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley beginning this new school year. At UC Berkeley, he ambitiously aims to double major in social welfare…
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A²MEND Students Join Board Members on East Africa Trip
Last month, six student mentees joined seven A²MEND board members on an extraordinary trip to East Africa as part of the organization’s Africa Study Abroad Program. A²MEND’s excursion program enables board members to escort student mentees to Africa each summer to connect them with their ancestral homeland. For this year’s trip, the student mentees traveled…
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A²MEND Charter Expands Presence at Solano Community College
A²MEND’s student charter at Solano Community College is establishing a growing presence on campus these days. The student charter has hosted a series of events and workshops for the college’s students and faculty over the past year. The activities have sparked dialogue about the systemic challenges Black males endure in higher education. A²MEND’s student charter…
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July 2022 Newsletter
Become an A²MEND Mentor Today
While A²MEND has made an impact on hundreds of lives of African American male college students across California, thousands of Black men in community colleges have not been able to benefit from a mentor simply because of our organization’s limited service capacity. To address this concern, A²MEND has partnered with MentorAndMatch.com to provide the technology…
$50k in Scholarships Presented to A²MEND Students
A²MEND presented $50,000 in scholarships to student mentees during the organization’s annual summit held earlier this year. The scholarship funds are annually donated to deserving students who are currently mentored through the organization. A²MEND scholarships provide mentees with financial support for tuition, books and living expenses. Scholarships are awarded to students with special qualifications, such…
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Roland Martin Unfiltered Airs A²MEND Interview
In early June, A²MEND was featured on Roland Martin Unfiltered, a daily digital show broadcasted from Washington, D.C. that focuses on issues important to the African American community. Conducted by award-winning journalist Roland Martin, the show interviewed A²MEND Co-Founder Ed Bush about the organization’s efforts to mentor Black men to help them succeed in California’s…
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A²MEND Purchases Land in Ghana
Over the past decade, A²MEND’s executive board members have accompanied student mentees to various African countries as part of its Africa Study Abroad Program. A²MEND’s leadership has seen first-hand how traveling to African countries have helped give students a greater sense of identity, a vital quality that is inextricably connected to their self-efficacy and wellbeing.…
June 2022 Newsletter
African Diaspora Education Summit Sept. 19-24
We are excited to announce an amazing opportunity to join A²MEND board members in traveling abroad to the University of Cape Coast, Ghana to participate in a momentous academic-based All African Diaspora Education Summit from September 19-24, 2022. This historic summit promises to be a profound professional development opportunity for African American educational professionals to…
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A²MEND Board & Students Travel to Africa in July
Last summer, A²MEND resumed its Africa Study Abroad Program, where executive board members accommodate a group of student mentees to Africa to visit their ancestral homeland. This July, A²MEND’s leadership plans to escort another group of Leadership Academy students to Kenya as part of this annual cultural excursion. The trip is a life changing experience…
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A²MEND Student Mentee Accepted at Harvard
A²MEND’s leadership congratulates one of their longtime student mentees, Temesghen “Temie” Ghde, for his acceptance to Harvard Kennedy School. Ghde will realize his dream of attending Harvard this fall as part of his post-graduate plans to earn joint degrees in law and public policy. Ghde’s successful educational path is a testament to the mission of…
Student Mentees Graduate This Spring
The A²MEND board is proud to announce that 13 student mentees graduated from college this past spring. Several students who graduated with an associate’s degree are moving on to a four-year college, while others who graduated with a bachelor’s degree are continuing their education through a master’s program or have already started their careers. Regardless…