Thriving and Leveraging the Power of Mentoring Opportunities

Evidence illuminates the power of relationships leveraged by mentoring as part of student success initiatives in higher education, particularly for underrepresented students. The speaker will discuss the benefits of mentoring programs with a culturally responsive approach to address retention, persistence to graduation and to foster a sense of belonging.

About the Speaker

Chotsani Williams West serves as the Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Adelphi University, where she has also taught as an Adjunct Professor within the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education and Health Sciences. In pursuit of her life’s work within education and social services, she made a purposeful career change from a thriving career in broadcast journalism and the entertainment television industry with Children’s Television Workshop – Sesame Street, Home Box Office (HBO), and Showtime Networks, to name a few. Through volunteerism for community-based organizations, she found her passion as a youth and social justice advocate.

Chotsani obtained a Master’s degree from Adelphi in Educational Leadership & Technology in 2007 and holds professional certifications from Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City Center for Training & Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service: Skills to Mentor Youth and Mentoring Supervision. She has a fulfilling career spanning over 20 years in youth and professional development, mentoring leadership, school reform and social services through a diversity, equity and inclusion lens. Her research explores leveraging the power of mentoring relationships, equity, access and opportunity.

With a flair and natural affinity as a skilled public speaker, she serves as both a facilitator and coach for diversity work, with an emphasis in the areas of Implicit Bias, Microagressions, and antiracism work. Lending expertise to panel discussions and radio programs such as 1240AM WGBB, she is a sought after presenter and consultant. Not for profit organizations including MENTOR New York, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of New York City, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.’s Leadership Development Institute (LDI) and Successful and Victorious Youth (S.A.V.Y), as well as the Office of Mental Health (OMH) are part of her portfolio. Chotsani continues to coach and guide youth and adults on evidence-based best practices for mentoring and youth development programs with a holistic and bold approach.

Chotsani is pursuing her Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities, which focuses on the importance of diverse curricula, diversity, social justice and equity in educational spaces, from Molloy College.