An innovative new effort at SUNY Oneonta aims to prepare students for life outside the classroom and after college by focusing on professional and social maturity and growth.
Noticing that many seniors lacked professional awareness, communication skills and confidence, history professor E. Howard Ashford had an idea and a goal: to create a program rooted in mentoring that would help students become the best version of themselves by focusing on these skills.
With this vision, the “Kings of Excellence” initiative was born. When it started in fall 2022, there were just a handful of male student participants, as one goal was to address the barriers that hinder recruitment and retention of male students from underrepresented populations.
Now, there are about 25 students involved, including women and students of all backgrounds.
“Emphasizing leadership, culture, service and self-esteem, my goal with Kings of Excellence is to get them out of the student mindset and into more of a place where they know what the world is going to expect from them and feel comfortable in a variety of settings and confident in what they bring to the table,” Ashford said. “We emphasize the identity aspect of it: It doesn’t matter what color you are, what your background is, etc. You can’t control what others think of you—you have to know yourself and hold yourself to a higher standard and build on that. That type of mentality will take them far.”
“They’re Really Embracing It”
A “king,” Ashford explained, is kind, intelligent, noble, gracious and sophisticated. Students in the program begin with an honest self-assessment, identifying their strengths and weaknesses. From there, they focus on all kinds of self-improvement, practicing proper dinner etiquette during monthly “Supper Club,” learning how to conduct themselves during a job interview, and honing more intangible skills like how to read a room, make small talk, or even how to play chess and tennis (“A lot of their connections and deals in the real world will be made outside of the office.”)
“The premise of Kings of Excellence is to uplift those who wish to grow and learn, anyone who may lack the knowledge on how to conduct themselves, due to lack of experience and exposure,” explained participant Je’cob Jones, a junior Communication Studies major from the Bronx. “Kings of Excellence captures the essence of real life, from practicing proper table etiquette to maintaining eye contact in a conversation. It’s about preparing myself for the real world.”
Each student in the program receives a blazer with a special "Kings of Excellence" embroidered patch to wear to events and activities to instill confidence and encourage them to take pride in the way they present themselves. One “walking exercise” asked participants to consider how they carry themselves and what their personal theme song would be. One of the students was so excited about the activity that he brought it back to his roommates, who were also “practicing their walk” inside their residence hall.
“I think those who are really trying and see the opportunity in it – they’re really embracing it,” Ashford said. “And you see the change in them. They shake hands and look each other in the eye and stand up straight with confidence. For some, no one’s really showed them these things before. But I see them building each other up and wearing their blazers and holding each other accountable. You see a bond in them, and it’s created a sense of belonging.”
It Takes a Village
A pillar of the Kings of Excellence program is mentorship, provided by Ashford and four other SUNY Oneonta faculty and staff volunteers: Maintenance-custodial worker Donald Bowden, Residence Hall professional staff members Unique Hodge and Jaida Sweeney, and EOP Counselor/Recruiter Bryce Wooden. Students in the program get to design their own business cards, attend professional conferences, and go on cultural immersion trips to “get them out and expose them to more,” such as a fall 2023 trip to Washington D.C. and graduate school exploratory visits.
These trips and experiences are funded through the university’s current Regaining Momentum Strategic Opportunities program, which has provided more than $1 million in grants for new initiatives that align with the university’s mission and strategic priorities. Kings of Excellence was one of 31 requests that received funding.
Oneonta alumni and community members have also helped support Kings of Excellence. Students recently got to meet and hear from Thomas Capek '85, senior vice president and chief engineer at Corning Incorporated, whose Capek Family Fund for Inclusive Excellence has supported numerous DEI initiatives across campus.
Ashford stresses that this is “not a club” but a program, expected to be completed by students within two years of starting. Following one semester as a "King-in-Waiting," students are inducted as Kings during a special ceremony. After fulfilling their "10 Missions"—requirements that include maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA, completing community service and professional development, creating a job portfolio, and actively participating in student organizations and events—Kings graduate from the academy.
Ashford promises each participant that, if they complete the program, he will go with them to get fitted for a three-piece suit and purchase it for them, along with a briefcase, as “my commitment to them to let them know how much I want them to succeed.”
One cohort of Kings has already been inducted, including junior Aaron Paul, an Adolescence Education: Social Studies major from Monroe, NY.
“My biggest takeaway from Kings of Excellence has been a conscious attempt at developing myself as an individual both personally and professionally,” he said. “Dr. Ashford has played a tremendous role in mentoring me, helping me become much more confident in myself and encouraging me to become much more involved as a student leader here on campus. I’m proud.”
*Photography by Sean Eaves, Art & Design BS '25