CLL Annual Report 2014 by Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Centennial Center for Leadership

2013-2014 Annual Report

Letter From The Staff

t is 4:30 p.m. on a Monday during the spring semester. Downstairs in the seminar classroom, Hobart and William Smith students in the HWS Leads certificate program are finishing up a session in their Leadership Theory I class. Outside in the front entry room, students on the CCL advisory board gather and wait for their meeting to start. Soon, student finalists in this year’s The Pitch contest will arrive for their pitch practice session with the CCL staff. Upstairs, a student preps for her interview with a Leadership Café guest. It is a typically busy day at 603 South Main Street. The Centennial Center for Leadership continues to be a rapidly growing office at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Early initiators wanted the office to offer opportunities designed to foster leadership within HWS students and the surrounding community. “Since William Smith College began and Hobart and William Smith became coordinate Colleges, our alumni and alumnae have pioneered in everything from English to economics to history,” said HWS Trustee Cynthia Fish ’82, during the building’s dedication in November 2008. “Now, as we cut the ribbon on the Centennial Center, we will become leaders among leadership programs across the United States.” Since that time, the CCL has evolved into a dual center with a compelling future. First, it provides leadership development for student leaders. Second, it engages in the study of leaders and leadership. Grown out of the interests of HWS students, the

CCL continues to expand its focus into entrepreneurial leadership, community leadership and global leadership with strong support and intentional progress. Moving forward, these distinct but intersecting specialty areas will guide our work as we remain steadfast that today’s leaders must be capable of innovative problem-solving in local and global communities. It’s been a wonderful year. We welcomed 43 new students into our HWS Leads certificate program. We worked with more than 85 HWS and Geneva High School students at January’s Leadership Institute. We provided leadership development for more than 30 second graders from Geneva’s West Street School within the Youth Leadership College program. We named another The Pitch winner. We funded our first global leadership fellow. As we take a look back over the year, we’d like to thank our generous donors, supporters, colleagues and friends who have helped us meet our 2013-2014 goals. We celebrate these milestones with you. Sincerely, Centennial Center for Leadership Susan M. Pliner, Associate Dean, Director Amy Forbes, Associate Director Kaylyn O’Brien ’12, Coordinator of Leadership Programs Solomé Rose, Global and Community Leadership Fellow

Leadership Institute participants.

Leadership Development

Leading Self Leading Others Leadership in Action

HWS Leads

The HWS Leads certificate program is our longest running program. This fall, we received a record breaking 54 applications. Following a group interview experience facilitated by members of our Student Advisory Board, we welcomed 46 students into the program who would start in the spring of 2014. With our largest cohort yet we were able to offer three sections of our Leadership Theory I course. Facilitated in rotation by all four members of the CCL staff, the Leadership Theory I course allowed our new HWS Leads students to spend their spring semester exploring the dynamics of our signature model: Leading Self, Leading Others and Leadership in Action, which includes topics such as servant leadership, followership, ethical decision-making, values clarification, issues of power and justice and group dynamics.

At the conclusion of the spring semester, we hosted our annual End of the Year Celebration and Certificate Ceremony. This year the End of Year Celebration also featured a Leadership Showcase, which debuted the practicum projects of 17 HWS Leads students. A requirement necessary for completion of the certificate program, the practicum allows students to develop and implement an individual leadership project of their own design. Practicums this year included a range of global, community and entrepreneurial themed projects. Each student also created an interactive online e-Portfolio detailing their practicum work as well as a compilation of their leadership experiences while at HWS. The e-Portfolios from Spring 2014 can be found on our website: www.hws.edu/academics/leadership. Weston Traub ’14 speaks at the HWS Leads end of year ceremony. During our Certificate Ceremony, 16 students received their HWS Leads certificates including 15 graduating seniors and one junior. To conclude the ceremony, HWS Leads students and seniors Ava Pavao ’14 and Weston Traub ’14 shared reflections on their time with the CCL. At the behest of our Student Advisory Board, we continued with the tradition of a barbecue on the lawn at the conclusion of the Certificate Ceremony. Current HWS Leads students from all cohorts gathered with HWS faculty and staff members to celebrate the end of the Visit us at: www.hws.edu/ academic year and their time spent with the CCL. Recruiting for the next HWS Leads cohort academics/leadership will begin at the opening of the Fall 2014 semester.

Centennial Center for Leadership Annual Report 2013-14

Leadership Institute

Centennial Center for leadership Make your move – attend the

Leadership Institute

Public Speaking

Networking

Personal growth

Leadership style

Practical techniques

Courage

Adaptability

Empowerment

Collaborative Capacity

Ethics

Cross-cultural

OFFERING FOUR TRACKS OF LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS Applications available online at:

hws.edu/leadership

Life long process

Leadership

Creative

Problem solving

Stakeholders

Monday, Dec. 2, 2013

Innovation

Initiative

Professional conference experience. Choose from

Resourceful

30+ workshops.

Collaboration

3 Local

Equity

Service

Partnerships

Justice

Sustainability

Intercultural

4 Leadership

2 Entreprenuerial

Vision

Applications due to the CCL

Free! to HWS Students

Marketing

Career Development

Skills

Change agents

Global

Leadership

Navigating controversy

January 18-20, 2014

Managing change

Leadership Institute (LI) is a two–and–a half day professional conference dedicated to student leadership development. It took place for a fourth straight year this past January, once again coinciding with the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This year we welcomed more than 85 attendees, including 21 Geneva High School students. To guide attendees through their conference experience, 13 HWS student leaders joined us as Home Group Leaders (HGL). HGL’s facilitated Home Group sessions at the conclusion of each day during which LI participants reflected on the day’s events, set personal leadership goals and collectively generated an Appreciative Inquiry Action Plan for their Geneva community. New to LI this year was a track system. In accordance with the CCL’s ecosystem model, we categorized more than 30 workshops into specific tracks: Leadership Development, Community Leadership, Global Leadership or Entrepreneurial Leadership. Based upon the theme and description of each track, Leadership Institute workshop. participants were able to decide which collection of workshops they would like to attend during the weekend. Workshop sessions were facilitated by HWS faculty, staff, students and alums, and covered a range of topics including: spoken-word and justice, ethical leadership, the Geneva 2020 initiative, Shakespeare and leadership. Three keynote speakers joined us for LI this year: Sara Wroblewski ’13 founder and CEO of OneBead; HWS Trustee Dr. Stephen Cohen ’67, founder and principal for the Strategic Leadership Collaborative; and HWS Assistant Professor of Education Khuram Hussain. To conclude Leadership Institute, on the morning of January 20, all student participants braved the winter weather to join the community for the MLK day march and celebration in downtown Geneva.

Community Leadership

Keynote speakers:

Sara Wroblewski ’13, One Bead CEO/Founder Dr. Stephen Cohen ’67, HWS Trustee and Founder/Principal, Strategic Learning Collaborative

Khuram Hussain, Assistant Professor of Education

hws.edu/leadership

Leadership Café

Each semester, the CCL invites a variety of campus and community leaders to join us for our Leadership Cafe series and engage with students and community members in compelling conversation. Designed to demonstrate that leaders come from a vast array of backgrounds, careers, experiences and perspectives, the Café series offers unfettered insight into the story and leadership experiences of the featured guest. The Café is also an opportunity for our HWS Leads students to practice their skills in inquiry and public speaking as each guest is interviewed by a current HWS Leads student. Our first Café of the season took place during Leadership Institute and featured the Superintendent of Geneva Schools Trina Newton, interviewed by Peter Budmen ’15 because of his interest in literacy and his goal of becoming an elementary school educator. Next, Eric D. Benjaminson, former U.S. Ambassador to Gabon, São Tomé and Principe, Africa joined us for a compelling conversation centered on the intricacies of global leadership, facilitated by Tatiana Soto ’15. Tatiana is focusing her leadership studies and practice on global leadership. William Smith alumnae Sara Wroblewski ’13, founder and director of OneBead, and Caroline Dosky ’12 MAT ’13,

RSHIP E D A LE Arlene Francis

Executive Director, Geneva Boys and Girls Club

Sunday, January 19, 2014 11:40 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Stern 201 Join us for a conversation with Arlene Francis, moderated by Aly McKnight ’15, about her experience as a community leader here in Geneva. All are welcome!

RSHIP LEADE Trina S. Newton Superintendent, Geneva City Schools

Sunday, January 19, 2014 10:40 – 11:30 a.m. Stern 304 Join us for a conversation with Trina Newton, moderated by Peter Budmen ’15, about her experience as a leader in education here in the Geneva community. All are welcome!

RSHIP E D A LE Eric D. Benjaminson Former U.S. Ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Principe, Africa

Tuesday, March 4, 2014 5:30-6:30 p.m. Centennial Center for Leadership 603 South Main Street Join us for a conversation with former Ambassador Eric Benjaminson, moderated by Tatiana Soto ’15, about his leadership experiences as a U.S. Ambassador. All are welcome!

RSHIP E D A E L

Dr. Kathy Platoni ’74 Clinical Psychologist, Retired Colonel, U.S. Army

Tuesday, March 25, 2014 12 p.m. Centennial Center for Leadership 603 South Main Street Join us for a conversation with Dr. Kathy Platoni ’74 interviewed by Elizabeth Lunderman ’16 All are welcome!

Sara Wroblewski ’13 Founder and Director of One Bead

A talk about the Nexus of Educational Leadership and Social Innovation

Caroline Dosky ’12, MAT ’13 Teach for America teacher in Boston

Friday, March 28, 2014 12 p.m. Centennial Center for Leadership 603 South Main Street Join us for a conversation with Sara Wroblewski ’13 and Caroline Dosky ’12, MAT ’13 interviewed by Peter Budmen ’15. All are welcome!

a Teach for America Corps teacher in Boston, also joined us for a Café focused on the nexus of educational leadership and social innovation. Wroblewski and Dosky spent time discussing their collaborative project, the OneLife Leadership Program, an effort dedicated towards increasing leadership development opportunities for elementary school students. To conclude the semester, we had the pleasure of collaborating with the Political Science department to host visiting Melvin Hill Scholar, Dr. Howard McGary, professor of philosophy at Rutgers University. Dr. McGary was interviewed by Clover Quigley ’15, a philosophy major and student worker for the CCL. Clover guided a lively conversation with Dr. McGary about the intersection of leadership, philosophy and social justice. After a successful Leadership Cafe series for the 2013 - 2014 academic year, we are very much looking forward to welcoming a whole new crop of intriguing and captivating leaders for next year’s series!

RSHIP LEADE Howard McGary, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy, Rutgers University

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 5 p.m. A talk about Leadership and Social Justice

Centennial Center for Leadership, 603 South Main St. Join us for a conversation about the intersections of leadership, philosophy and social justice with Dr. Howard McGary interviewed by Clover Quigley’15. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome!

The Leadership Cafe hosted conversation with Melvin Hill Scholar Dr. Howard McGary, professor of philosophy at Rutgers University.

Justice Video Competition

This past fall, the CCL sponsored a new video competition centered on issues of justice as part of the office’s 2013-2014 theme, “Justice Matters: Intersections of Leadership.” The competition was open to all students, faculty, staff and alums, and sought to promote a dialogue on issues pertaining to justice. Videos were expected to unpack a relevant justice issue, consider ethical implications, provide solutions and offer a direct inroad to leadership.

Centennial Center for Leadership

Justice Matters: Intersections of Leadership Video Competition

Relevant. Ethical. Authentic. Leaders :REAL TALK :REAL SHORT There are two categories for submission: REAL Talk (a brief Tedtalk inspired speech) or REAL Short(documentary)

Applications can be downloaded online: www.hws.edu/academics/ leadership/theme.aspx

Deadline:

Friday, October 11 at 12 P.M. Email videos and applications to srose@hws.edu using FileTransfer For more information check out the CCL page: www.hws.edu/academics/leadership/theme.aspx Or contact Solomé Rose srose@hws.edu or (315) 781-4555

The Justice & Leadership Video Contest is a forum for creative expression. Faculty, students, staff and alums are invited to submit short, thought-provoking videos on an issue of justice.

Thirteen videos were submitted of which four semi-finalists were selected. The semi-finalists included: Subin Nepal ’15, Amy Schenk ’14, and Anna Philibert ’16; Kaleigh Marcotte ’16 and Kaiya DiPippo ’16; John Connor Widenmeyer ’14 and Andrew Mason ’14; and Aly McKnight ’15. The justice issues included: immigration, racism, animal cruelty and occupational choice. On November 12, the CCL sponsored a symposium hosted by Professor of English, Grant Holly, where the winning video was revealed. After viewing each of the four videos, the audience selected Widenmeyer’s and Mason’s video, “Paws and Reflect,” on animal cruelty.

Andrew Mason ’14 and Connor Widenmeyer ’14 have been named the winners of the first annual Justice and Leadership Video Competition sponsored by the Centennial Center for Leadership. Their film “Paws & Reflect” details the struggle of shelters to house and care for cats and dogs.

Since winning the video competition, Widenmeyer and Mason have shared their video at various CCL events including the Leadership Institute and the CCL’s End of Year Certificate Ceremony and Leadership Showcase.

Fellowships

Endowed by HWS Trustee Steve Cohen ’67, the Cohen fellowship is designed to provide students with funding for meaningful leadership projects. This year’s Cohen Fellowship recipient was Aminata Dansoko ’15. Dansoko’s project will focus on college and career readiness for Geneva High School students. By working with HWS and local community partners, Dansoko hopes to provide high school students with the necessary tools to prepare them for both college and the workforce.

Centennial Center for Leadership Annual Report 2013-14

Aminata Dansoko ’15

Participants of the 2013 HWS IdeaLab gather for a photo in the Centennial Center for Leadership.

Entrepreneurial Leadership HWS IdeaLab

For the second year, the CCL offered the HWS IdeaLab, which is a start-up accelerator program designed to power student ideas for products, services and organizations. A student-led committee in coordination with the CCL selected 10 students to participate in the fall 2013 HWS IdeaLab. Participants included: John Darby ’14, Abbey Foote ’17, Morgan Bungerz ’15, Ato Bentsi-Enchill ’17, Taylor Anderson ’15, Hannah Brunelle ’14, Jenna Davidson-Catalano ’14, Jenna Klicker ’15, Ryan Tinklepaugh ’16 and Lincoln Young ’14. The six-week workshop series serves as a preparatory program for The Pitch contest. IdeaLab Students submit a final proposal to compete for $3,000 worth of seed funding. In order to provide incentive for students, Stuart Lieblein ’90 issued the Lieblein ’90 Challenge this year, which would gift an additional $1,000 to each IdeaLab participant that made it to the second round of The Pitch. Ato Bentsi-Enchill ’17, Morgan Bungerz ’15, Abbey Foote ’17, Jenna Klicker ’15 and Dennis O’Connell ’16 were chosen to receive seed funding to further their ideas. The student selection committee included: Julie Baghajian ’15, Daniel Budmen ’15, Cece-Carksy Bush ’16, Caroline Connor ’16, Patrick Sharry ’14, Clover Quigley ’15 and Kyle Zaverton ’15.

HWS IdeaLab Coming FALL 2013 IdeaLab Application Deadline Monday, Sept. 16 at 12 p.m.

New this year!

What is it?

The IdeaLab is a start-up accelerator program for products, services or organizations. It is designed to power up entrepreneurial ideas in six weeks.

The Stu Lieblein ’90 Challenge $1,000 cash prize

To any student with an HWS IdeaLab proposal that makes the second round of The Pitch.

IdeaLab Topics

Who is eligible?

Any current HWS student can apply. All majors and levels of experience are welcome. The lab will take 8-10 students a semester.

Idea Creation

Problem-Solving & Product Design The Pitch Strategic Planning Cost Structure Target Audience & Market Analysis Sustainability

What’s the Funding? There is a pool of $3,000. Our student committee will review proposals and allocate the funding.

Submit proposals online at hws.edu/leadership E-mail aforbes@hws.edu for more information

CENTENNIAL CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP

To learn more about the HWS IdeaLab, visit www.hws.edu/academics/leadership/idealab.aspx 5

The Stu Lieblein ’90 Pitch Contest

Entrepreneurial leadership programming has experienced rapid growth in the last three years. The Pitch was created in 2011 in response to the yearlong academic theme, The Power of an Idea. It has become a program that touches on all phases of the HWS community. Over the last three years, 92 students have participated in The Pitch, which amounts to 56 proposals from individuals as well as teams. Twenty-one alums have served as mentors and 10 have served as judges. Twenty members of our faculty and staff have served on the selection committees. Additionally, 5 entrepreneurs have served on the selection committee over the past three years. Funding for The Pitch contest is now generously provided by Stuart Lieblein ’90, the president of Residue National Corp in New Hyde Park, N.Y. Lieblein will sponsor The Pitch’s $10,000 grant from 2015-2019. The CCL also debuted the Innovation Academy over the winter break. Each of The Pitch semi-finalists returned to campus the week prior to the start of classes. They engaged in five days of intensive entrepreneurial leadership training in topics such as innovation, idea iteration, accounting, marketing, negotiations and funding strategies with faculty members from Syracuse University, the University of Rochester and Cornell University. Ato Bentsi-Enchill ’17

Morgan Bungerz ’15

The Pitch contest was held on Wednesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. Despite a blizzard, there was a full audience in attendance to watch finalists Ato Bentsi-Enchill ’17, Nicole Pastor ’16, Morgan Bungerz ’15 and John Darby ’14 compete for a $10,000 grant. This year’s winner was Bentsi-Enchill, creator of RevisionPrep, which is an online education service that combines exam preparation with simple gaming programs aimed at Ghanaian junior high students. Bentsi-Enchill is the first first-year to win the contest.

John Darby ’14

This year’s judges included: Will Margiloff ’92, CEO of IgnitionOne; Horace Allen ’85, founder and CEO of Legacy Creators; Jeffrey Burki ’76, coNicole Pastor ’16 founder of LifeCare, Inc., LifeCare’s vice chairman and chief strategy officer; HWS Trustee Deborah Pilla ’76, pediatric dentist, affiliated with Lenox Hill Hospital, and owner, of Park Avenue Pediatric Dentistry; Rebecca Carr ’86, P ’17, chief marketing officer, Century Link Technology Solutions.

This year’s Pitch mentors included: George Schwartz ’08, sr. associate interactive program manager, SapientNitro, a creative brand and technology firm; Susan Keller P’16, entrepreneur, business advisor and a partner at Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP; Frank Everett ’73, founder of Thrive Frozen Nutrition, which incorporates health and nutrition into one of the world’s favorite frozen treats; Phil Lodico ’00, cofounder, FairWinds Partners, LLC, a domain name strategy consulting company; John Siff ’79, president of Prairie Realty Advisors, Inc., a regional real estate financial services firm that specializes in the origination and servicing of commercial mortgages and income producing property; Suzanne Rutstein ’95, owner of JuJu, an active-lifestyle clothing store that carries clothing and accessories for both, outdoor and indoor activities; and Dr. Lowell Levine ’59, forensic odontologist and the director The third annual Pitch winner Ato Bentsi-Enchill ‘17 stands with The Pitch judges Horace Allen ‘85, Jeffrey Burki ‘76, Trustee of the New York State Police Deborah Pilla ’76, Rebecca Carr ‘86, P’17 and Will Margiloff ‘92. Medicolegal Investigations Unit.

Centennial Center for Leadership Annual Report 2013-14

Pitch Update

Here is an update on a few past Pitch participants: Sam Singer ’13, a Pitch finalist in 2011-2012, continues to work on TRAIN Gum, an all-natural chewing gum. Recently, he has partnered with a Massachusetts-based firm in order to expand TRAIN. Currently, he is taking orders on his website. Additionally, six stores (including the HWS College Store) are carrying TRAIN Gum and it will be featured at three Massachusetts farmer’s markets (Brookline, Waltham and Watertown) this summer. Mimi Mahoney ’14, a Pitch finalist in 2012-2013, was accepted to the Clinton Global Initiative University where she plans to further her work on her non-profit idea, “Connecting Smiles,” which serves individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. Matthew Mead ’13, a 2012-2013 Pitch finalist, introduced Hempitecture Architecture firm that designs building materials with industrial hempbased products. He is currently working with an organization in Idaho to construct a Hempitecture building. He and his partner recently launched a Kickstarter campaign and exceeded their funding goal of $25,000. Sara Wroblewski ’13, the 2011-2012 Pitch winner, is the director of her own non-profit, One Bead. One Bead sells recycled glass bead bracelet to support education in Nairobi, Kenya. One Bead is also shifting into a leadership development organization, OneLife, for youth in the United States. With help from Caroline Dosky ’12, MAT ’13, she piloted two programs in Boston, Mass. this past year. Drew King ’14, the 2012-2013 Pitch winner, is the creator of Spacevinyl, LLC. Spacevinyl recently signed a year-long lease to open a storefront in downtown Geneva. Orders for Spacevinyl can be made at spacevinyl.com after September 5th.

The Pitch Supporter: Stuart Lieblein ’90 Stuart Lieblein ’90 has illustrated a passion for entrepreneurship throughout his career. In 1992, Lieblein began the Residue National Corp where he remains the owner and president today. Residue National Corp deals in brokerage of scrap foam and scrap plastic and moves material all over the world. In 1994, Lieblein began Magic Shine, a shoe shine company in the New York Metro area, which provided booths in airports and a number of major New York City department stores. Additionally, Lieblein began Southampton Holdings Inc in 2004, which purchases vacant land or existing residential homes in Southampton, N.Y. and builds or refurbishes the home. In 2006, Lieblein also negotiated the rights to the popular west coast hamburger franchise “Fatburger” for Long Island. He is a graduate of Paul D. Schreiber High School, Port Washington, N.Y. where he earned high school AllAmerican lacrosse honors. A 1990 graduate of Hobart, Lieblein earned BA in English and was a member of the Division III National Championship Hobart Lacrosse team.

Leadership Institute 2015: January 17-19

The Pitch:

March 12, 2015

To learn more about The Pitch, visit www.hws.edu/academics/leadership/pitch.aspx 7

Dana Williams ’16 and Maddie Buckley ’15 pose with second graders during the Youth Leadership College program end of year ceremony.

Community Leadership Youth Leadership College

For its second year now, the CCL has offered its Youth Leadership College at West Street Elementary school. The Youth Leadership College (YLC) is a semester long program that provides leadership development to elementary school children. The program was developed by Caroline Dosky ’12, MAT ’13, as part of her masters thesis in 2013. In the first year of the program, Caroline developed the curriculum and implemented the program at West Street Elementary school. Given the success of the first iteration, the CCL was asked to continue the program. This year, two HWS Leads certificate students, Dana Williams ’16 and Madeline Buckley ’15, led 33 second graders through a ten week leadership development curriculum. Employing the CCL’s signature model of Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leadership in Action, Williams and Buckley worked with the students to develop their leadership skills.

Maddie Buckley ’15 works with second grade students on leadership projects.

A certificate ceremony culminated the end of the YLC program. On May 2, parents, friends, teachers and school district administrators gathered to witness the students receiving their certificates. The day included three workshop stations including one where the students completed “I Believe” statements, which they read to the attendees. They also participated in a team-building activity where they worked collaboratively to build the highest tower. In the third session, students were tasked with developing an action plan for a fundraiser that would impact the Geneva community.

Given the success of the program at West Street Elementary school, the CCL was asked to begin a similar leadership program at North Street Elementary school. In the fall, the CCL will work with the North Street leaders around leadership development.

Centennial Center for Leadership Annual Report 2013-14

Global Leadership Global Leadership Fellowship

This year, the CCL developed a new fellowship to cater to students’ international interests. In addition to our existing fellowships, the Cohen and the Centennial, the CCL developed a new global leadership fellowship geared towards students who are committed to enacting change abroad. The fellowship was in the amount of $3,000.

Amira Abdulkadir ’14

Our first global leadership fellow was Amira Abdulkadir ’14. Abdulkadir has been heavily involved in the HWS Debate team and the HWS Leads certificate program and believed in the importance of developing one’s public speaking skills. For her project, she proposed a debatefocused training of trainers project. She returned to her hometown of Nairobi, Kenya where she trained 15 potential debate coaches and 150 student debaters from five different high schools.

During each of the sessions, Abdulkadir’s students were given training materials and introduced to the basics of debate, which include: the structure of an argument, the organization of a speech and how to deliver an effective speech. They were then asked to come up with a list of topics that they cared about or that they thought were most relevant to Kenya. The most prominent topics included: corruption, resource distribution, ethnic and religious tensions in the country, gender biases, the role of the government, the integrity of politicians, and the educational system and its flaws. This activity was intended to gauge the students’ awareness of current affairs in the country and provide them with a list of debate topics for practice rounds.

Research & Scholarship

The CCL staff presented at two conferences this past year. On October 4, the staff presented at the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ conference in Providence, R.I. The presentation was titled, “Leadership in Action: Fostering Authentic, Responsible and Ethical Leaders.” On November 1, the staff presented at the International Leadership Association’s conference in Montreal, Canada. The presentation was titled, “Contemporary Leadership Spheres: Resilient Leaders Develop for Self, Others and Action.”

Abdulkadir’s debate program was a huge success and many of the students expressed interest for continued support. The CCL looks forward to meaningful work from future global leadership fellows.

Program Assessment Assessments

This year, the CCL has undertaken a number of assessment efforts to better evaluate the effectiveness of our programs. One study in particular was developed to track student growth in the certificate program. This longitudinal survey was administered in the beginning of the spring semester before students began their first requirement, which is Leadership Theory I. As students complete each subsequent requirement, the posttest will be administered at every level to assess their learning in each of the remaining requirements (Theory II, Public Speaking, and the practicum). The questions were designed to measure the student’s growth in each of our certificate’s learning outcomes, which are presented at the right. At the end of Theory I, each student completed a post-test. The survey assessed the students’ confidence levels in a variety of areas including ethical decision-making, innovative problem-solving and communication skills. Additional questions measured students’ knowledge of leadership skills and techniques. Overall, students displayed an increase in their confidence levels.

Learning Outcomes: • Develop the knowledge of theoretical concepts of leadership. • Develop a set of core values and belief systems. • Develop a practice for self-reflection. • Develop skills for innovative problemsolving. • Develop skills for ethical decisionmaking. • Develop techniques for communicating effectively. • Develop capacity for critical analysis. • Develop capacity to apply theoretical concepts. • Develop cultural and intercultural competencies.

CCL Student Leader Profiles Cornelia Smith ’15 is currently a student in the HWS Leads program and a CCL Advisory Board member. She defines leadership as “finding purpose, and learning how to wield that purpose in dynamic and effective ways. Leadership is having a strong voice and knowing when silence is the best way to use it.” Smith is also editor-in-chief of the Martini student newspaper, sings with The Colleges Chorale and Three Miles Lost, and serves as William Smith representative on the Committee on Curricular Review and Reform. To Smith, “The work I have done and witnessed at the CCL has impacted how I conduct myself at HWS, both as a club leader and a club member. Applying concepts and theories learned at the CCL has become second nature to me, as I have truly grasped that my academic and CCL experiences are in perfect tandem as I go about my four years here at HWS.” When asked how her involvement in the CCL will impact her future experiences, Smith explained, “In HWS Leads seminars, I have witnessed the unprecedented passion, conviction, and utter, undaunted ambition of my peers. There is so much strength behind our conviction to enact change, and this resolve is, I believe, what I will most take from being a part of the CCL. Not only do I have the courage and initiative to work for change myself but I now have the support of so many more remarkable students, leaders, and teachers. Furthermore, I know these people will never stop being available to me and vice versa, whether at HWS or after, to spur me in my purposes, collaborations and ultimately, reformations of positive change.” Caroline Demeter ’15 defines leadership as “an ability to bring people together to make positive change. It is a skill set that can continuously be improved through experience and through observing role models. Leadership involves creativity, passion, responsibility and perseverance.” Demeter has participated both in the HWS Leads program and the Leadership Institute. Demeter believes that “with the completion of the CCL certificate program she will have the confidence and skills she needs to be an effective leader.” Outside of the CCL, Demeter is a William Smith Student Trustee, a member of the Laurel Society and the vice president of the Koshare Student Dance Collective. Demeter thanks the CCL for “opening so many doors for her and providing her with the confidence she needed to hold leadership positions on campus.” Dana Williams ’16 is a student in the HWS Leads program. For the practicum component of the HWS Leads program Williams is heading the Youth Leadership College where she works with second graders from West Street Elementary School once a week on leadership training. As one of the Orientation Coordinators for the Classes of 2018, she says, “The CCL has impacted almost all of my experiences at HWS in a positive way. I think one of the main ways the CCL has aided me at HWS is by teaching me different styles of leadership and pushing me to develop my own style of leadership by utilizing a bunch of different models instead of blindly accepting a cookie cutter definition of what leadership is. This has helped me refine who I am personally as a leader and what I believe in and stand for.” Kimberly Gutierrez ’17 has participated in both the HWS Leads program and the Leadership Institute. On campus, she is a member of Women’s Collective and William Smith Congress. Gutierrez believes that the CCL has broadened her perspective towards her own potential as a leader and in other people as agents for change. In her own words, “Effective leadership, for me, is a place where growth is constant and expansive.” In the future, Gutierrez hopes that she will challenge typical standards of hierarchical leadership within other institutions based on her understanding of alternative models of leadership that she has learned from her experiences with the CCL. Peter Budmen ’15 defines leadership as “the ability of one to harvest the talents, labor, and passions of a group of individuals to create a positive change.” Budmen has been involved with the CCL through a multitude of outlets: a member of the HWS Leads program, a workshop facilitator for the Leadership Institute and an interviewer for two Leadership Café’s. Additionally, Budmen was the recipient of the 2012-2013 Cohen Fellowship. With the assistance of the Fellowship, Budmen worked closely with the Geneva Head Start program to create a sustainable literacy curriculum. Peter believes that his involvement with the CCL has given him “the confidence, poise, and concentration to focus on what he values and finds most important.” Budmen is grateful to the CCL for helping him “find the ability to lead and create social change for the better.”

10 Centennial Center for Leadership Annual Report 2013-14

Daniel Hastings ’16 became involved with the Centennial Center as a senior at Geneva High School when he first attended the Leadership Institute. Since then, Daniel has attended the LI as a participant and most recently as a Home Group Leader. Through his involvement with the CCL, Hastings has learned that “when it comes to leadership, actions speak louder than words.” Hastings feels that the CCL taught him to become more aware of his strengths, weaknesses and beliefs. The lessons Hastings has learned through the CCL will continue to influence his thoughts and decisions as well as inspire his actions even after graduation. Ato Bentsi-Enchill ’17 is the creator of RevisionPrep, an online educational service that combines exam preparation with gaming programs for students in Ghana. For this, Bentsi-Enchill participated in the IdeaLab and then moved on to win The Pitch 2014. Bentsi-Enchill is the first, first-year student to win The Pitch. Bentsi-Enchill attributes the CCL for providing him with “a channel to effectively pursue creativity and innovation.” Bentsi-Enchill has been involved in other CCL programing including the CCL’s Student Advisory Board and the HWS Leads program. He believes that the CCL will greatly influence his future even after HWS. He says, “I believe that all social issues and the manner in which we approach them have a connection to effective leadership. The CCL teaches core values and principles that set a solid foundation for a life of consequence.” Kyle Zaverton ’15 describes leadership as “a delicate balance of individuality, listening, and courage.” Zaverton has been the co-coordinator of HWS IdeaLab for the past two years and has served on the CCL Advisory Board. Through his involvement with the CCL, Zaverton has been “given the opportunity to work with students from backgrounds and experiences very different from his own.” In his own words, “The conversations I have had with students and staff at the CCL, as well as the tangible experiences, have helped me further develop my leadership skills. These conversations and experiences have supplemented the education I receive in the classroom, and have aligned me to pursue my career goals after graduation.” Zaverton plans to delve into a career in business, and credits the CCL for helping him achieve that goal by giving him the confidence to make decisions and lead people within the business world. Outside of his work with the CCL, Zaverton is a member of the Druid Society, a Lead Teaching Fellow for the Center for Teaching and Learning, and a Student Rep for the Economics Department.

Coming Next Year The CCL will continue to deepen its strategic goals by expanding into the academic discipline of leadership studies as well as the practical work of leadership development. On the academic side, the CCL will work towards new coursework, faculty grants and further research. For leadership development, the CCL plans to work with campus leaders across a number of offices with new programming designed for emerging and advanced leaders. Please check our website for more news soon! www.hws.edu/academics/leadership/

Centennial Center for Leadership 603 South Main Street Geneva, N.Y. 14456 twitter.com/HWSCCL www.facebook.com/CentennialCenterLeadership Phone: (315) 781-4550