Dr. Rafael Matos

Positive Disruption: Embracing Yourself to Defeat Your Inner Saboteur

Feel like a fraud? Are you afraid of people discovering you are a fraud? Do you have difficulty internalizing your success? If you answered “Yes” these questions, chances are you may have a case of Impostor Syndrome! You are not alone – Did you know that about 70% of people experience impostor syndrome. Think about it, we are conditioned to believe that our titles and credentials are measures of our success, so much so that sometimes we focus our energies on securing external validation. And why is that even after we get the accolades we still feel empty? Because our inner saboteurs will not allow us to be our best

In this keynote, Rafael talks openly about overcoming imposter syndrome, defeating his inner saboteur, and living authentically.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, students will learn:

• Ways to differentiate between internal and external validation
• 3 strategies to deal with their inner saboteur
• Techniques to find their own internally-driven self-confidence
• How to develop their own plan to live authentically

Bridges Not Walls: Confronting Bias in Your Community

Racial inequities in the United States were pushed further into the forefront of our country. Students are impacted by things such as the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police Officer, the Black Lives Matter movement, the anti-Asian hate crimes, and healthcare disparities exposed by the coronavirus pandemic. As champions for justice, diversity, equity and inclusion, we must identify and take action to address biased and oppressive behaviors.

While some leaders excel in this area, there are others who avoid the topic altogether. This interactive keynote session uses Critical Race Theory (CRT) social as a framework to provide participants practical ways to engage peers, students and professionals, across various identities, in dialogue that is meaningful, challenging and supportive of both professionals and students.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, students will learn:

• How to define microaggression and provide an example from their own experiences
• How to identify personal barriers that hinder their ability to engage in diversity dialogue
• How to identify their own strategy to address a diversity concern they face.

TALK WITH ME BRO! A Brother’s Guide to Healthy Accountability

Ever have a conversation with your fraternity Brother that started out good and ended very wrong? You thought it was a simple discussion, but somehow it escalated to a full-blown argument you could not escape! Then there was that time at a chapter meeting and there’s a Brother who is critical of everything, even the order of the agenda. You want to address your Brother’s concerns, but you don’t know where to start.

Managing interpersonal relationships is an essential component of leading a fraternity. And though we intend to be Brotherly in our dealings, our intentions are challenged by something called relational aggression, a form of aggression that harms relationships. This interactive session will share some practical and effective ways to positively address a Brother’s behavior, hold him accountable to fraternity expectations, and preserve relationships. Students will role play scenarios and gain resources to help them hone their newly acquired skills.

NOTE: This program can be customized to include women and non-Greek letter organizations.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, students will learn:

• How to identify behavior that constitutes relational aggression
• Skills to confront chapter members’ inappropriate behaviors
• Tips to facilitate healthy dialogue among chapter members
• Techniques to maintain composure while confronting a difficult person

Surprise! You’re Having a Crisis

A crisis is an unpredictable event that can threaten the well-being of people and organizations. A crisis can occur at any time, and sometimes without warning. Crisis preparedness is often overlooked until it is too late and we find ourselves in the middle of a crisis. And while you can’t predict when a crisis will happen, you can anticipate one and prepare your strategy to deal with its impact.

Effective crisis management and communication are essential for the survival of any organization. The best method to deal with a crisis is to avoid one altogether. Easier said than done? Sometimes, but preparing yourself and your chapter to identify, anticipate and handle a crisis is not as difficult as you may think. This interactive session provides participants strategies to help them prepare a plan to navigate crises.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, students will learn:

• The definition of a crisis and how to identify how a crisis forms.
• How to anticipate and prevent a crisis
• Practical ways to manage a crisis in progress
• How to build an effective crisis management plan

“Hypermasculinity” in NPHC fraternities

Collegiate members of NPHC fraternities express their commitment to intellectual achievement and high standards in personal conduct, while at the same time, displaying problematic hypermasculine-like behaviors. The first reaction is to label members as hypermasculine, but digging deeper, this label may be inaccurate. Black men’s masculinity in the United States is constructed through a lens of racism and White supremacy. These hypermasculine-like behaviors are further influenced by popular culture and perceived representations of Black masculinity. Members may not realize the reasons why they are actively engaging and promoting these behaviors.

This interactive program seeks to develop critical perspectives on Black men masculinities related to power, privilege, and oppression by examining the misalignment between behavioral standards and expectations set by their fraternities and their actions. Symbolic interactionism, social identity theory, and media ecology provide a theoretical foundation to understand the influences of popular culture on hypermasculinity in collegiate chapters of NPHC fraternities. Participants will explore how collegiate members of NPHC fraternities renegotiate the behavior standards of their organization by decoding the messages and encoding them with their own meanings.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, students will learn:

• to identify popular culture influence on hypermasculine-like behaviors displayed by collegiate members of NPHC fraternities
• to define the representations of Black masculinity, and
• to identify alternative actions to replace hypermasculine-like behaviors.