Growth Mindset: Optimism in the Midst of Pessimism
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Rahul N. Mehra, MD, Chief Physician Executive for the National Center for Performance Health(NCPH), Bret Lockett, former NFL football player, and Michael Cerino, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics at Limestone University, will each provide insights on how to achieve and maintain happiness and review the strategies and successes related to mental resilience.
Michael Cerino became the fifth Director of Athletics of Limestone University in the fall of 2008, and later added the title of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics in 2011 to better reflect the broad spectrum of his responsibilities.
Cerino formerly sat on the NCAA Division II Management Council, a 29-member group that reports directly to the Presidents Council and is charged with recommending administrative policy and regulations that govern the division. He served on the council as a representative of Conference Carolinas until Limestone announced its move to the South Atlantic Conference.
Cerino, who was recognized as the 2019 Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, most recently led the University through its transition to a new conference home with the South Atlantic Conference. The Saints were associate members in football since 2016 before becoming full members on July 1, 2020.
He has also overseen the innovative partnership between Limestone and the National Center for Performance Health to implement GameChanger, a program that confidentially assists with mental health issues impacting academic/athletic performance, relationships, and overall happiness. Through that partnership, Limestone teamed up with Sharpen to release the “Sharpen Colleges” mobile and desktop apps to give athletes and staff another mental health resource.
Bret Lockett is a former NFL player, serial entrepreneur, and high-performance business coach. Mr. Lockett has been featured in media across the globe including Forbes, CNN, Entrepreneur Magazine, NBC, and ABC, among several others. Over the last decade, he has been devoted to not just understanding the psychology of peak performers in sports and business, but how to master living a life of significance. Through these principles, Mr. Lockett created High Stakes Training, a performance training company for high achievers who want to reach peak performance in all aspects of their life. Co-designed by neuroscientists, psychologists, and National Football League (NFL) and performance coaches, the High Stakes training platform was created to help high achievers become top performers both in life and in business.
In business, Mr. Lockett is a partner in a private aviation company, M2Jets, which offers private charters domestically and internationally to high net worth individuals. He also runs a boutique consulting company through his firm, Newport Ventures Group. Originally from Los Angeles, Mr. Lockett attended the University of California, Los Angeles, and was a star Defensive Back. After leaving UCLA in 2009, Mr. Lockett continued to the NFL where he spent most of his time with the Super Champion, New England Patriots, and the New York Jets. Outside of business, Mr. Lockett's passion for helping children and animals has led to his deep involvement in philanthropy. Specifically, with the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Habitat for Humanity, The Midnight Mission, and others. Currently, Mr. Lockett is pursuing his Masters in Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
Dr. Rahul Mehrais CEO and Chief Physician Executive of the National Center for Performance Health(NCPH), a Florida based, national healthcare organization focused on improving human performance at work, home, school, and in athletics. As a nationally recognized performance physician over the last thirty years, Dr. Mehra currently advises Major League Baseball, political leaders, physicians, C-Suite executives, former National Football League players, on sensitive matters of stress, peak performance, relationships, family, substance abuse, business/financial pressures and workplace safety. He is a certified instructor in Mental Health First Aid thru the National Council of Behavioral Health.
Dr. Mehra is a dual board-certified physician and a former Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He works in and has extensively volunteered in the local and statewide foster care system in Florida. In May of 2018, Dr. Mehra gave the medical keynote address for “Beyond the Physical: A Symposium on Mental Health and Sports” in Atlanta, GA. This event garnered national attention and was sponsored by the National Football League, NFL-Players Association and Cigna.
All Fireside Chats are hosted by Robyn Hussa Farrell, MFA, E-RYT
Fireside Chats fulfill training requirements for SC Foster Parent Association certification. To qualify, foster parents should attend the live or recorded session, then email Robyn Hussa Farrell at rfarrell@sharpenminds.com to obtain a printable certificate.
Robyn Hussa Farrell is co-founder and CEO of Sharpen, and has spent the past 15 years collaborating with state agencies, educational systems, public health and psychology researchers to build and deliver evidence-based programs to K-12 schools and communities. Robyn is responsible for building collaborative partnerships and developing programs that deliver powerful prevention content into communities across the U.S.
As part of her work in population health and prevention, Robyn built mindfulness, stress reduction and yoga-based programs for patients struggling with a variety of mental illnesses. Her work has been published in peer reviewed medical journals and in other publications. Robyn’s experience working in treatment settings and with researchers in schools led her to scale her community-based programs by adapting them into video-based modules and a series of documentaries on mental health and educational initiatives. Many of Robyn’s programs have been implemented through the award-winning non-profit, MentalFitness, which Hussa founded in 2006 to deliver evidence-based content and resources to communities.
A leader in the mental health and wellness provider community, Robyn is certified in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through the University of Massachusetts Medical School model, as well as a certified trainer for NAMI NH CONNECT Suicide Postvention program. Hussa has proudly served as Spartanburg county youth suicide prevention coordinator for the Behavioral Health Task Force for United Way of the Piedmont, is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Johnson College of Business and has served as a mentor for the StartME Spartanburg entrepreneurship program. Robyn served as the Resilient Schools mindfulness trainer in Spartanburg, Cherokee, Richland and Lexington County Resilient Schools initiatives, is a Founding Member of the Eating Disorder Recovery on Campus in Boston, an advisory committee member for Way to Wellville/Rethink Health Community Engagement and Listening Campaign, and has been a Keynote and Invited Presenter in over 50 medical and educational conferences.
About Sharpen
Sharpen works with national researchers and practitioners to deliver evidence-based mental health programs that improve behavioral health outcomes for communities. Sharpen Fireside Chats are a free resource for communities and aspire to bring the latest best practices to more individuals, communities and families.