Apr 5, 2023
Photo of symposium winners
Symposium winners are pictured with Dr. Warren Nichols, 91制片厂 president, Maria Grimaldo, keynote speaker, Gwendolynn Barbee-Yow, 91制片厂 professor and GCIC Academic Symposium co-chair and Dalel Serda, 91制片厂 professor and GCIC Academic Symposium co-chair.

91制片厂 (91制片厂) hosted the ninth annual Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Consortium (GCIC) Academic Symposium on March 31 and featured more than 50 presentations from students representing Gulf Coast community colleges.

This year鈥檚 symposium theme was 鈥淭ranslating, Reframing and Embracing Contradictions.鈥� The event is held annually to help students grow as scholars by enhancing students鈥� communication skills, facilitating networking across the disciplines and colleges and helping students build self-confidence and feel ownership of their work. College of the Mainland faculty and staff served as judges and moderators throughout the day-long event.

Yudith Salas won first place for her project 鈥淭raveling Against the Current: From Marianismo to Chicanismo.鈥�

鈥淲hen I first started working on my draft for the symposium, my intention was not to win,鈥� said Salas. 鈥淢y intention was to just do my very best and project my message to students, faculty and women who are attending my panel. I wanted to share the message with them, to inspire them and to ignite something in them to pursue what they want. It feels really good to actually win because a lot of hard work was put into this, and I learned a lot from doing this.鈥�

Symposium winners were as follows:

  • First Place: 鈥淭raveling Against the Current: From Marianismo to Chicanismo鈥� by Yudith Salas, UHCL/independent scholar, advisor Dalel Serda
  • Second Place: 鈥淕enerational Violence Against Black Men in Candyman鈥� by Ysel Alcala, Lee College, advisor Georgeann Ward
  • Third Place: 鈥淕raham Crackers and Kellogg鈥檚 Cereal in Relation to Sexuality鈥� by Deannery Dior Muankaew, San Jacinto College 鈥� South Campus, advisor Abbie Grub
  • Fourth Place: 鈥淭he Importance of Financial Literacy鈥� by Cameron Lanier, 91制片厂, advisor Elaine Childs
  • Honorable Mention: 鈥淓xploring the Workplace Feminism That Changed it All: The 9 to 5 Movement Through Media and Modern-Day Perception鈥� by Rebecca Currie and Diego Moreno, Lee College, advisor Georgeann Ward
  • Honorable Mention: 鈥淭he Inherent Contradiction Within Feminism鈥� by Rawan Aljaouni, Houston Community College, advisor Brandon Williams

The symposium鈥檚 keynote speaker was Maria Grimaldo who spoke on 鈥淓mbracing Contradictions While Framing and Defining Your Career: Perspective from a Student and Young Professional.鈥�

To learn more, visit www.com.edu/symposium/.