college retention – Greek University

Wes Woodson: Finding Support Systems in College

By admin on July 28, 2025

Finding support systems in college can be critical to your success! Wes Woodson is a nationally recognized youth mental health speaker, author, and founder of The Wes Woodson Company—a creative education and media company on a mission to help schools and universities activate self-belief in their students. With a focus on emotional safety, student leadership, and self-worth, Wes partners with institutions to deliver impactful keynotes, orientation experiences, and leadership trainings that equip young people with the emotional tools they need to succeed—both in and out of the classroom. At the heart of Wes’s work is a simple, powerful idea: Students can’t thrive if they don’t feel safe to be themselves. Through a combination of storytelling, psychology, and practical strategies, Wes helps educators and administrators create emotionally supportive environments where students are seen, heard, and empowered to believe in themselves.

In episode 591 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out what it was like for Wes growing up when he felt like he didn’t fit in, why he chose Babson College, what led him to become a mental health advocate and youth speaker, what emotional safety means to him, what are some steps to manage anxiety and stress in college, how he is able to redefine strength for men, how we can overcome the stigma around getting help, how to build authentic friendships and find their support system in college, and how students can embrace their imperfections and still feel like they belong. Enjoy!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2ZupH7HrJY

Fraternity/Sorority

Courtland Mitchell: Retention and Graduation for Marginalized Students

By admin on July 26, 2024

Retention and graduation for marginalized students are critical objectives. We’ll talk more about it with Courtland Mitchell, the Director of Nutritional Services for the Department of Aging and Community Living in Washington, DC. He’s a proud graduate of Howard University, and he takes great pride and pleasure in advocating and serving communities that have been historically marginalized, forging innovative partnerships, and developing effective strategies and policies. Courtland is committed to building healthier learning communities for all.

In episode 470 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out why Courtland decided on Howard University, why he chose to join Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. in a grad chapter, what he does as Director of Nutritional Services for the Department of Aging and Community Living, how we can increase the retention rates and graduation rates for college students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, what resources are available to assist with housing insecurity, hunger, transportation to school, and affording textbooks, where students can go in order to find mentorship once they get to college, how we can achieve diversity across all levels of an institution, what we can do to achieve an inclusive campus climate, and how we can improve outreach and recruitment to a diverse array of students. Enjoy!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5kv2xaUaHQ