Organizing a conference or workshop (organizating a panel) : 9 points - Jordan Fischer

Through my organization, Plays 2 Empower, I organized an HBCU College Panel designed to provide high school students with direct insight into college life. I coordinated first-year students from FAMU, Howard, Hampton, NCAT, Spelman, and Morehouse to share their experiences. Planning the panel required organization, communication, and intentional question design. The goal overall was to create an accessible and informative space, and facilitating the conversation really allowed us to center honesty, transparency, and relatability in a way that traditional college information sessions often do not. Each panelist brought a unique perspective on academics, social life, financial aid, and the transition from high school to college, which helped students see that there is no single “right” path to success at an HBCU. Creating that environment required me to think carefully about how to structure the discussion so that it felt both engaging and meaningful. It also pushed me to consider how representation and peer-to-peer dialogue can make information more impactful and easier to understand.