Division of Student Affairs encourages student leadership and service in weeklong program

ISSUED: 28 August 2024
MEDIA CONTACT: Hans Fogle

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV - Shepherd University's Division of Student Affairs hosted nearly 40 new students for a weeklong transformative program before the start of the new academic year.

The L.E.A.D.S (Leadership, Education, Action, Service) program took place from August 17-22. Students participating in L.E.A.D.S. made new connections with fellow Rams, gained resources to navigate college better, and engaged in community service - all while developing skills to prepare them as future leaders.

The program included a Day of Leadership, hosted by Rachael Meads, director of student activities and leadership, and a Day of Service, coordinated by Melanie Ford, principal systems analyst for student affairs.

Ford's Day of Service involved over 45 Shepherd students and employees for a river clean-up in the Shenandoah River through local business River & Trails Outfitters. Students and employees also completed various support projects for Jefferson County Community Ministries in Charles Town, West Virginia, and a special project for The Well, a wellness student space located in Gardiner Hall and managed by Shepherd University Counseling Services.

The L.E.A.D.S. students also participated in workshops coordinated by Hannah Williams-McNamee, assistant director of Shepherd's Student Success Center, where support staff and other campus partners led students through interactive sessions with campus units including Accessibility Services, Counseling Services, the Student Success Center, and the Bill and Bonnie Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications.

Concluding the program, the L.E.A.D.S. students utilized their newfound leadership skills and Shepherd knowledge to support the University's Office of Residence Life and assist first-year students during move-in day on August 22.

This is the second year Student Affairs has hosted its L.E.A.D.S. program, and the division is excited to see continued growth that, in turn, helps Shepherd students grow as leaders.

Julia Franks, chief of staff of student affairs and director of the Student Success Center, always looks forward to seeing the L.E.A.D.S. students carry the lessons they learned throughout their Shepherd career.

"The L.E.A.D.S. program allowed students the opportunity to learn about themselves, their peers, and the University community they are joining," explained Franks. "Through this weeklong program, students challenged themselves to 'be comfortable in the uncomfortable' and celebrate their accomplishments alongside their peers. My hope is that students will take the confidence and skills learned through L.E.A.D.S. and apply them to their everyday lives while at Shepherd."

The Division of Student Affairs' efforts have paid off, as various students have remarked on the skills they have learned and the memories they have made.

"I feel completely prepared for this school year," said a first-year nursing student who enrolled in this year's L.E.A.D.S. program. "This program [L.E.A.D.S] helped prepare me for school by learning the layout and helping my community."

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