Fifty students from Woodlawn and Scotlandville high schools spent Wednesday afternoon in a program, conducted by University professor Thomas Karam, focused on improving their personal brands.
Bobby Johns, a graduate business student, coordinated a program called “The Reggie Bush Effect” for youth from Baton Rouge high schools. The program is focused on the notion of personal branding.
Johns came up with the unconventional approach to give back to the Baton Rouge community after attending classes at the University.
“I think it’s an interesting marriage between the two departments. We have a business program over here where we can take information and transfuse it into a College of Education program,” said Suzan Gaston, director of LSU GEAR UP, one of the sponsors of the event.
The program bears its name because of Bush’s maintained professional image in the face of his Heisman Trophy controversy, Johns said. Bush returned his trophy to the Heisman Trophy Trust after he reportedly accepted gifts while playing for his alma mater, Southern California.
LSU GEAR UP and 21st Century sponsored The Reggie Bush Effect. GEAR UP is a “federal program designed to decrease the dropout rate while increasing the college-going rate of middle and high school students,” according to its website.
The 21st Century program focuses on guiding and advising students in danger of dropping out of high school through after-school activities, such as retaking courses and workshops, Gaston said.
The program serves up to 1,200 students in the East Baton Rouge Parish, Gaston said.
“Our goal is to work with the students to help them graduate,” Gaston said.
On Wednesday, 50 students from Woodlawn and Scotlandville high schools filled a small classroom to listen to the lecture on personal branding.
Creating a successful personal brand is about showing respect, maintaining positive facial expressions, and tone of voice, Karam said.
Gaston said Johns worked with Karam to help students realize the idea of marketing themselves.
The program highlighted ways for someone to get an interview or job or find success.
The idea the program is trying to impress upon the students, Johns said, is that a personal brand can equate directly to dollar signs for an athlete, so they must market themselves as best as they can.
The program will help students overcome negative images they portray, such as the slacker stigma, Gaston said.