How do you go from shy and uncertain to confident speaker and leader? Host Dan Baum talks to Kevin Lemus and Forrest Caskey about the power of trust, community and having someone believe in you.
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Kevin Lemus, a Meade High School graduate, is in his third year at AACC and studying construction management. After graduating this spring, Lemus plans to pursue his bachelor’s degree in construction management and work to gain experience in his field.
Lemus is an active member of the college community. He’s the director of outreach for the Student Ambassador program, the treasurer of both the Student Government Association and Phi Theta Kappa, a national honor society. Lemus also sits on the Middle State steering committee as a student representative. Even after graduation, Lemus wants to continue helping his fellow students connect with the opportunities college has to offer — opportunities that not only have helped him succeed, but also to grow as a person.
“Something that has always hung on to me deep in my heart was that, we all have a voice but it’s within ourselves to let that voice be heard,” he said. “I found my voice, now I challenge you to seek yours.”
Forrest Caskey is an assistant professor teaching in the departments of Academic Literacies and Interdisciplinary Studies. He has been with the college for four years and is pursuing his Ph.D. in Language, Literacy and Culture at UMBC. Caskey is also the faculty advisor for the Gay/Straight Alliance as well as Chi Alpha Epsilon, an Honor Society for students who began their education in developmental English. When Caskey is not sticking his nose into every diversity and equity project on campus, he can be found lost: in nature with his dog, in a book, or wandering some area of the world.