10:00  - 11:45 AM

Career development professionals increasingly support job seekers whose career decisions are shaped by culture, language, race and ethnicity, immigration experience, socioeconomic background, disability, gender identity, faith, family expectations, and other intersecting identities. Cultural competence remains a useful foundation, but it can unintentionally suggest that a professional can fully master another person's culture. Cultural humility offers a more responsive approach: a lifelong commitment to self-reflection, recognition and mitigation of power imbalances, job seeker-centered partnership, and accountability at both the individual and organizational level. In this interactive session, participants will examine how practitioner identity, professional authority, implicit assumptions, and inequities in education and the labor market can influence career assessments, occupational guidance, résumé and interview coaching, employer referrals, and definitions of "professionalism." Through guided reflection, career development scenarios, and skills practice, participants will build strategies that center job seekers as experts in their own lives, replace deficit-based interpretations with curiosity, and respond constructively when a cultural misstep occurs. Participants will leave with a practical framework, sample culturally humble questions, and an individual action commitment they can apply in their next career conversation.

Learning Objectives: participants will be able to:

• Explain the distinction between cultural competence and cultural humility, and describe cultural humility's core commitments — lifelong self-reflection, power awareness, job seeker partnership, and accountability.
•  Analyze how their own professional identity, implicit assumptions, and systemic or labor-market inequities can shape career conversations, recommendations, and job seeker outcomes. 
• Apply culturally humble communication strategies including open-ended inquiry and transparent use of professional authority, to a career development scenario involving intersecting identities or systemic barriers. 
• Develop one specific practice or process change, with an accountability method, to strengthen cultural humility in their individual or organizational work.

Andrea Horton-Meriçli is a dynamic leader, advocate, and entrepreneur whose career is rooted in her lived experiences as a mixed-race Latina, military brat, and first-generation professional. Her early life instilled adaptability, resilience, and empathy, qualities that continue to drive her commitment to equity and inclusion. Andrea earned her B.S. from the University of Texas at El Paso (an HSI), completed her alternative teacher certification at Huston-Tillotson University (an HBCU), obtained a TEFL certification, and taught English in Turkey. She is currently pursuing an MBA in Business Analytics at the University of Pittsburgh. Andrea has built a career spanning education, workforce development, nonprofit leadership, and advocacy. She currently serves as Talent Acquisition Specialist – Community Outreach at the University of Pittsburgh, advancing inclusive recruitment strategies and community partnerships. She is also the founder of Diversifuse, a consulting firm that helps organizations foster inclusive workplaces where diversity is valued, belonging is cultivated, and equitable opportunities are accessible to all.

Noon - 1:15 PM

In today’s rapidly evolving workforce landscape, one truth remains constant: change is inevitable, but growth is intentional. Across the country, men and women navigating career transitions face uncertainty, emotional strain, and moments of self-doubt. For many, the journey toward employment is not simply about finding a job — it is about rediscovering confidence, resilience, and purpose. This session explores the human side of career change. We will examine why change feels hardest at the beginning, why the middle often feels messy and discouraging, and how perseverance through the process leads to meaningful and rewarding outcomes. Attendees will gain practical strategies to better support individuals in transition, helping them shift their mindset from fear of change to ownership of growth. By reframing change as a pathway rather than a barrier, we can equip those we serve with the clarity, confidence, and motivation they need to move forward — and never give up.

Learning Objectives: participants will be able to:

• Define and Reframe Change Participants will be able to clearly define change within the context of workforce and personal transition, and reframe it from a disruptive event to a developmental opportunity for growth.
• Apply Proven Strategies to Navigate Transition Participants will identify and apply documented tools and evidence-based methods that support individuals through the early, messy, and rebuilding stages of change.
• Strengthen Motivation and Resilience. Participants will develop practical techniques to sustain motivation — both for those they serve and for themselves — enabling them to confidently guide others through challenges toward rewarding outcomes.

Mark V. Smith is a highly respected national motivational speaker, workforce development trainer, and corporate facilitator who brings energy, clarity, and real world experience to every engagement. Know for his engaging and results driven approach, Mark empowers individuals and teams to strengthen performance, leadership effectiveness, and professional confidence. Driven by a deep commitment to personal and professional growth, Mark partners with organizations to address today's workplace challenges through practical training, interactive, and motivational insight. His work blends inspiration with actionable strategies, helping participants translate learning into measurable, sustainable results.