EHC alumni gathering to feature ELITE founder Cannon

02/28/2014 3:50 PM

By Jennifer Cundiff ’16

The annual Leadership in Education, Human Services, and Counseling department alumni gathering will focus on mental and emotional struggles facing teens.

The March 8 event will include breakout sessions such as “Working with LGBT Students”, “Compassionate Care: Teens and Self Injury” and “Facts About Youth: Onset of Bipolar Disorder.” The event will also honor outstanding Bradley alumni for excellent scholarship, innovative practice and community service.

Carl Cannon, founder of Peoria Park District’s ELITE youth program, will be the keynote speaker. Cannon began his career in law enforcement but found that he wanted to “focus on what he could do with youth to keep them from going to prison in the first place.”

On March eighth the department of Leadership in Education, Human Services, and Counseling is hosting their annual alumni event. This years event, held in Westlake Hall, is partnering with Hult Center for Healthy Living, ELITE, and the National Association of Social Workers.

Cannon’s main message, to both teens and adults alike is that “respect is a two-way street.”

Dr. Christopher Rybak, the chair of the department of Leadership in Education, Human Services, and Counseling says that Cannon is a particularly relevant speaker.

“He has been working for a number of years to motivate teen in a positive direction, which is what this year’s alumni event is all about,” Rybak said.