Civic Engagement

Community leader mentors Oglethorpe’s Achieve Atlanta cohort

Michael Sterling, attorney and former Atlanta mayoral candidate, was the featured speaker at “Imprint & Impact,” a roundtable discussion highlighting current and expected future trends in Atlanta, hosted by Oglethorpe University’s Achieve Atlanta cohort.

Achieve Atlanta assists Atlanta Public School students get to—and through—college by increasing college access, removing financial barriers for students, and supporting college persistence and completion. Oglethorpe is among Achieve Atlanta’s College Success partners, which host targeted programs to ensure students thrive on campus and graduate.

Oglethorpe senior Shalonda Cash ’18, an English major and Achieve Atlanta ambassador, and Cecil Rose, associate director of academic success in the Atlanta Laboratory for Learning, moderated the event.

During the discussion, Sterling shared insights into his career as an attorney and experience running for mayor. He offered advice about how best to leverage personal experiences to be successful and impactful in Atlanta.

Atlanta is a rapidly changing city and Achieve Atlanta scholars can capitalize on those changes, Sterling advised. The growing film industry is one example of that change, shared Sterling, who was instrumental in shaping the city’s Office of Entertainment that supports the presence of filming in Atlanta. Students shared their excitement to take part in Atlanta’s growth and flourishing new industries.

Sterling also discussed the value of both goal setting and persistence, and the ways fear of failure can be crippling. Using personal stories, both from his experiences as an undergraduate at Atlanta’s Morehouse College and in law school, Sterling contextualized his advice to connect directly with the students. These relatable stories helped students realize their own capacity to rebound after failure and turn those experiences into instructive lessons.

The group had an honest dialogue about the ways that they can contribute to Atlanta and make a lasting imprint on their hometown.

Oglethorpe’s Achieve Atlanta cohort with Michael Sterling.

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