ALFRAID MANNING A college student from Fairfield, Alraid Manning, will attend the annual National Black Student Leadership Conference this week in Vienna, Va.

Manning is the son of Don and Tina Manning and is a 2007 graduate of FHS, where he was an All- District football and basketball player, and a region track qualifier.

He is attending Huston- Tillotson University in Austin on a track scholarship.

The conference starts this Thursday and runs until Sunday.

Theme for the event is “A Circle of Hope: Vision to Reality.”

About 800 students from throughout the United States, including 10 from Huston-Tillotson, are attending the 25th annual event.

During the conference corporate career and graduate fair on Friday, students have the opportunity to get acquainted with some of the country’s top employers and institutions. These companies and schools provide information about careers, internships, fellowships and employment.

Workshops are scheduled throughout the conference and include topics such as “The Leadership Challenge,” “Mentoring and Men of Color in Higher Education” and “A Call to Action: 14 Highly Effective Principles for Leaders of Millenials.”