Fostering Relationships: Effective Strategies for Campus Success

Webinar description:

Developing autonomy and interdependence is a challenge for all college students as they enter this new chapter of their lives. College students with foster care experience face compounding challenges above and beyond those of their peers, and they may struggle to stay motivated towards achieving their goals. In this webinar, presented through the Field Center’s Foster Care to College Initiative, you will be introduced to strategies that promote self-sufficiency and accountability among students with foster care experience throughout their college career. The webinar will cover trauma-informed approaches to working with this population. Geared towards professionals working in higher education, this free event is open to anyone who wishes to learn more about supporting college students with foster care experience.

Presenter: Ronicka Hamilton, MA, LLPC, ACC

Director of the Seita Scholars Program at Western Michigan University

Ronicka Hamilton is a lifetime resident of Kalamazoo, MI. She attended Kalamazoo Public Schools, after which she earned an associate’s degree from Kalamazoo Valley Community College before going on to attend Western Michigan University where she earned a bachelor of social work degree and two master’s degrees – one in counseling psychology and the other in higher education with an emphasis in student affairs. Her passion for students who have experienced foster care has grown; however, it starts at home with her Godsons, who were once in the Michigan foster care system before being adopted by a family member.

After receiving her first master’s degree, Ronicka also dedicated her time to developing and growing a local group home for teen girls, boys, and moms who were in foster care. She joined the Seita Scholars Program early in its development, and was instrumental in developing and creating the campus coach model, which has trained over 1,500 professionals around the country since 2013. She was the first Senior Campus Coach for the program, developed the strategy for supervising staff in the area of troubleshooting student challenges and celebrating their successes; she is the program’s current director; she is a senior trainer for the Fostering Success Coach model; and is an associate certified coach through the International Coach Federation.

Ronicka is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. where she dedicates time to projects that support and serve the community.

Presenter: Alexus “Lexi” Jackson 

Seita Scholar and Peer Mentor

Lexi is a Seita Scholar and a peer mentor with the program where one of her primary responsibilities include planning and implementing Summer Early Transition Week for incoming Seita Scholars, as well as being one of the peer mentors for the incoming cohort.

This webinar is presented through the Foster Care to College initiative of Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research, with gratitude to our Advisory Board, Young Professionals Council, and donors for their generous support. To learn more about Foster Care to College, visit www.fostercaretocollege.org.