Courtesy photoWichita State junior Adam Key is certain that leadership can be taught.
The best way is by example and application in real-world settings.
鈥淭he key is teaching in a way that allows the students to practice it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat makes it really stick in your brain and see the importance of the things you鈥檙e being taught.鈥�
Key is one of eight students representing six 好色先生 colleges who recently participated in the Lead for Tomorrow Leadership Academy in the Cohen Honors College. Five faculty members led the interdisciplinary course presenting content from their field focused on the theme 鈥淐onnected Leadership: Creating a Community of Leaders.鈥� Students then were tasked to apply course content to challenges presented by local community partners.
The course and its travel are inspired by Dorothy and Bill Cohen鈥檚 gift for the Honors College. The course completed its third year with a trip to Portland, Maine, for students to examine community connections in a seaport city with a metro population of around 500,000.
鈥淚t was imagined for a leadership experience, something that students wouldn鈥檛 encounter in other ways,鈥� said Dr. Chelsea Redger-Marquardt, assistant dean in the Cohen Honors College. 鈥淭he piece of curiosity and life-long learning are Honors outcomes. Education as a driver for making public impact. That鈥檚 such an important part of Dorothy and Bill鈥檚 legacy.鈥�
The students worked with ICT Food Rescue and First Tee - Greater Wichita to help with issues such as community awareness and retaining and motivating volunteers. For example, they tackled strategies for emphasizing to volunteers their importance and showing them how their time and work fits into the organization鈥檚 goals.
Students used design thinking, needs assessment, root cause analysis and other tactics to help those groups. The trip to Portland offered an opportunity to see how similar programs worked in a different part of the country. Next spring, the class will visit Memphis.
鈥淭his class was all about community, building a sense of community, engaging with the community,鈥� said Gregory VanDyke Jr., a 2023 Wichita State graduate with a degree in criminal justice and an honors leadership distinction. 鈥淲e were able to go out in the community and work with community partners. Then with the travel we were able to bring back what I鈥檓 learning.鈥�
Key, who is majoring in entrepreneurship and honors baccalaureate with an emphasis in innovation design, digital marketing and wellness, contributed to the final presentation for the ICT Food Rescue group with his graphic design skills. Others offered skills in video editing, creating documents and personas for volunteers.
鈥淚 liked the hands-on experience of it,鈥� Key said. 鈥淚 really gained a new level of being able to lean on other people and finding what skills I鈥檓 best at and them being able to lean on me.鈥�
In Portland, students visited Wayside Food Programs and Portland Community Squash to look at their techniques for working successfully within the community.
鈥淭he travel aspect really stuck with me,鈥� Key said. 鈥淭he Northeast way of living is different, and Maine is even different. Seeing a different way of life really helped me. It motivated me to travel even more, just seeing different ways of life. I want to start a business in the future, so I鈥檓 going to have to manage those different ways of life if I鈥檓 working with people around the country or the world.鈥�
The diversity of academic pursuits added to the experience. Students came from majors such as aerospace engineering, communications, accounting and political science. The faculty included Redger-Marquardt, assistant professor organizational leadership and learning and assistant dean in the Cohen Honors College, Dr. Bobby Berry assistant professor of sport management and assistant dean in the College of Applied Studies, Dr. Samantha Slade, associate professor of psychology, Dr. Cindi Mason, associate teaching professor industrial and manufacturing engineering, and Doug Stucky, assistant educator and director of curriculum and programs in the College of Innovation and Design.
鈥淚 worked with students and staff I wouldn鈥檛 have otherwise worked with,鈥� VanDyke Jr. said. 鈥淎mazing experience. It really helped me enhance my leadership skills.鈥�
