Young Men Find Camaraderie At Leadership Conference In Newark

NEWARK, NJ — An inspiring gathering of future leaders in New Jersey recently took place in Newark when the Boys to Leaders Foundation hosted their 10th annual Young Men’s Leadership Conference at Rutgers University.

According to the nonprofit, the annual youth conference promotes a “culture of leadership” for male students in the area. Attendees participate in educational workshops and meet prominent community leaders, who impart lessons of hope, inspiration and guidance.

This year’s free conference included workshops on topics such as financial literacy, youth entrepreneurship, landing a job nailing down financial aid for education.

The keynote speaker was Andrés Acebo, interim president at New Jersey City University. Acebo is the proud first-generation son of Cuban exiles who grew up in Union City, and has maintained strong ties to the community. He is only the second Hispanic to serve as the leader of a four-year public institution of higher education in New Jersey, and is one of the youngest known presidents to ever lead a public university in the state.

“Many of our young men face societal and academic challenges that our organization is addressing on a daily basis,” said Sara Peña, founder and president of Boys to Leaders Foundation.

“It is critical to have our young men interact and be exposed to leaders that look like them and can offer them hope and much needed guidance,” Peña added.

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