Emerging Leaders Academy focuses on student development

The Brenda White Wright Emerging Leaders Academy is accepting applications for the academic year.

 The applications can be found by going to etsu.edu/lead.

The deadline to submit an application is Nov. 2.

If accepted, you’ll be going through an intensive weekend before the start of Spring Semester classes.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, you’ll be a part of a service project to give back to the community.

“Leadership is not about you,” said Wright. “It’s about serving others.”

The philosophy behind ELA at ETSU is service and leadership, doing something to make a difference in the lives of other people.

The program is designed to give participants the skills, tools and opportunities to engage in the community and school.

The eight weeks after the intensive, often called the “Advance”, students will attend a two hour class every Monday night.

There will be speakers each week on topics from time management to ethical decision making.

At the end of each night, there will be a reflective and interactive activity to apply what you learned to your own life.

An alum of the program, Brandon Delgado, said what he took away from ELA was what type of leader he is and how to work with other leaders.

“Sometimes, the quietest person in the room might have the best ideas,” he said.

The people in your class at ELA become a family.

It’s a great way for networking and meshing in the community, while learning about yourself and how to deal with others.

After graduating from the program, a group of alums organized a program called LAUNCH.

Over 120 high school students attended the conference, listening to speakers and breaking into workshops.

LAUNCH was so successful that it is now an annual program.

In order to be accepted into the program, the minimum is good standing with the university: an academic GPA of at least a 2.0, and a good judicial standing with no probation.

Anyone with great potential might be afraid to step out. Give them a nudge in the right direction. Apply to the Emerging Leaders Academy.

Articulate the answers carefully, letting the board know what you can gain out of the program and why you want to be a part of the Academy.