Western Michigan University will host the 2026 Alsame Youth Conference at Kalamazoo, MI on May 8, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We expect 400 students from various high schools across the state to attend. Please check this page for updates, to register your group to attend, and to learn about the keynote speaker, artists/entertainment, workshop presenter highlights, the college and career fair, and more!
Western Michigan University Youth Conference News Release
INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING? REGISTER TO BE A VOLUNTEER!
2026 Youth Conference Keynote Speaker:
Montez O. Morales
Commissioner, Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners, D3
Director, Student Well-Being & Thriving, Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Commissioner Monteze O. Morales is a transformational leader, public servant, and equity strategist with more than 20 years of experience driving systems-level change across education, government, and community impact. She serves as the first Afro-Latina Commissioner representing District 3 on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners, where she also made history as its first Afro-Latina Vice Chair. Appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, she completed two terms with the Hispanic Latino Commission of Michigan. Morales is recognized for designing and scaling high-impact, data-driven strategies that advance equity and measurable outcomes. A leader who drives innovation and sustainable change at scale, she spent a decade at Kalamazoo Valley Community College leading place-based scholarship and student success initiatives. Her work integrated basic needs, financial wellness, and academic support into a unified model that strengthened retention, improved course success, and elevated the student experience. Now serving as Director of Student Well-Being and Thriving at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Morales leads a comprehensive strategy focused on food security, housing stability, and financial empowerment—ensuring students can learn, grow, and thrive. As a policymaker, she championed funding for Gender Affirming Care, established an emergency assistance fund for county employees and advanced a landmark proclamation declaring housing a public health crisis, demonstrating her ability to translate vision into actionable policy. She holds a master’s degree from Western Michigan University and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
General Conference Agenda:
ALSAME Youth Conference
Western Michigan University, May 8, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Arrival & Check-in
9:15 a.m. Welcome from WMU & ALSAME
- Scholarship Awards
- Keynote Speaker
10:15 a.m. Breakout Session 1 Sangren Hall
10:45 a.m. Interactive Activity
11:00 a.m. Breakout Session 2
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Lunch and College Fair
1:15 p.m. Breakout Session 3
1:45 p.m. Interactive Activity
2:00 p.m. Breakout Session 4
2:30 p.m. Optional Campus Tours and Dismissal of Groups
2026 College & Career Fair Institutions
The following institutions will be in attendance (*last updated April 16, 2026)
- Alma College
- Aquinas College
- Baker College
- Central Michigan University
- Davenport University
- Eastern Michigan University
- Grand Rapids Community College
- Grand Valley State University
- Hope College
- Kettering University
- Lawrence Technological University
- Oakland University
- Saginaw Valley State University
- Spring Arbor University
- University of Detroit Mercy
- University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
- University of Michigan – Dearborn
- University of Michigan – Flint
- Wayne State University
- WMU: College of Arts & Sciences
- WMU: College of Aviation
- WMU: College of Education & Human Development
- WMU: College of Engineering & Applied Sciences
- WMU: College of Fine Arts
- WMU: College of Health & Human Services
- WMU: Haworth College of Business
- WMU: Lee Honors College
Questions? contact Salvador Lopez at lopezs@alsame.org