ERG Council: Pride in Mentorship
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Date and Time
Wednesday Oct 8, 2025
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM EDT
2nd Wednesdays
3:30-5:00 PM
Location
Same Zoom Every Month https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82780447890
Meeting ID: 827 8044 7890
Fees/Admission
FREE for Plexus ERG Council Members
Contact Information
Dr. Jennifer Bosco
Send Email
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Description
Through candid conversations and real-world examples, panelists from CollegeNow will delve into the unique challenges and triumphs of navigating careers and education as LGBTQIA+ individuals. They will illuminate how mentorship can foster a sense of belonging, provide crucial support in overcoming obstacles, and empower individuals to achieve their full potential. Pride in Mentorship will provide attendees with practical tools and strategies for cultivating meaningful mentoring relationships that promote authenticity, allyship, and advocacy within the LGBTQIA+ community.
Moderator:
Madeline Rife joined College Now in August 2014 as the Mentoring Program Manager with a background in youth and education. In her role as Senior Director, Madeline oversees all aspects of the College Now Mentoring Program, which currently serves over 1,700 mentor/mentee pairs. From 2010 to 2012, Madeline served in the United States Peace Corps in Ukraine, teaching English as a Second Language and working as a youth development professional. Upon her return to the United States, she became the Global Youth Programs Officer at the Cleveland Council on World Affairs where, for 18 months, she managed a Model United Nations program for over 1,000 local students, as well as long- and short-term youth exchange programs with young people from Iraq, Kosovo, and Mexico. Madeline served as a mentor in a formal program during her undergraduate years and many times informally during her teaching career in Ukraine and is today a mentor for Esperanza, Inc and the Cleveland Clinic; she understands first-hand mentoring’s challenges and rewards. She attended Georgetown University School of Foreign Service where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service in 2009.
Panelists:
Jehlani White is a 3-year board member and the Interim Program Director at Colors+ Youth Center, a mentor at College Now Greater Cleveland, a Program & Community Impact Manager at Chosen Collective, and community ambassador at Haus of Transcendent. A Posse and Point Foundation Scholar, he earned a Sociology degree from Oberlin College in 2019, receiving the Norm Robertson LGBT Activism award. He taught ESL in rural China and obtained a Master's in Public Health with a concentration in social and behavioral sciences and certificate of LGBTQ+ Health from Kent State University in December 2024, where he helped conduct a Greater Cleveland LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment. He is grateful to be able to learn and be among community across different sector as a 2022 Foundation for Philanthropy fellow and now 2025 Adolescents Health Advocates fellow.
Roy Botiggi is an IT leader and LGBT ERG leader at Lubrizol. He is also the President of the Board for LGBTQ+ Allies Lake County. Previously, he served on the steering committee for Cleveland HRC. He has spoken at LGBT conferences and events on topics such as Trans Equality in the Workplace, How to be an Ally, and Transitioning from Allyship to Advocacy. Additionally, they are a College Now Mentor.
Jehlani (Morgan) White is a Community Engagement Manager and Consultant at Chosen Collective, a mentor at College Now Greater Cleveland, and a Community Ambassador/Board Member at Haus of Transcendent. He served a three-year term as Board member and one year as the Program Director for Colors+ Youth Center. A Posse and Point Foundation Scholar, he earned a Sociology degree from Oberlin College in 2019, receiving the Norm Robertson LGBT Activism award. He taught ESL in rural China and obtained a Master's in Public Health with a concentration in social and behavioral sciences and certificate of LGBTQ+ Health from Kent State University in December 2024, where he helped conduct a Greater Cleveland LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment. He is grateful to be able to learn and be among community across different sectors as a 2022 Foundation for Philanthropy fellow and 2025 Adolescents Health Advocates fellow.
Ash Harmon is a 2024 Ohio State graduate who currently works as a veterinary assistant in Grandview Heights, OH. They are an alumni of the Ohio State University Marching Band. They serve as Alumni Advisor and current Interim President of the Ohio State chapter of the National Society of Leadership & Success. They are also a College Now mentor to two college students as an alumni of the Mentoring Program.
Roy Botiggi is an IT leader and LGBT ERG leader at Lubrizol. He is also the President of the Board for LGBTQ+ Allies Lake County. Previously, he served on the steering committee for Cleveland HRC. He has spoken at LGBT conferences and events on topics such as Trans Equality in the Workplace, How to be an Ally, and Transitioning from Allyship to Advocacy. Additionally, they are a College Now Mentor.
Jehlani (Morgan) White is a Community Engagement Manager and Consultant at Chosen Collective, a mentor at College Now Greater Cleveland, and a Community Ambassador/Board Member at Haus of Transcendent. He served a three-year term as Board member and one year as the Program Director for Colors+ Youth Center. A Posse and Point Foundation Scholar, he earned a Sociology degree from Oberlin College in 2019, receiving the Norm Robertson LGBT Activism award. He taught ESL in rural China and obtained a Master's in Public Health with a concentration in social and behavioral sciences and certificate of LGBTQ+ Health from Kent State University in December 2024, where he helped conduct a Greater Cleveland LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment. He is grateful to be able to learn and be among community across different sectors as a 2022 Foundation for Philanthropy fellow and 2025 Adolescents Health Advocates fellow.
Ash Harmon is a 2024 Ohio State graduate who currently works as a veterinary assistant in Grandview Heights, OH. They are an alumni of the Ohio State University Marching Band. They serve as Alumni Advisor and current Interim President of the Ohio State chapter of the National Society of Leadership & Success. They are also a College Now mentor to two college students as an alumni of the Mentoring Program.
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