Alumni

What ULP Alumni say about the program

I enjoyed the courses in ULP, but was really blown away by the opportunities to leave campus and study leadership in the real world with the Community Connections Retreat and the OWLS retreat. The OWLS retreat provided an environment for each of us to experiment socially in a group and bring the experience back to our positions as leaders in everyday settings. The Community Connections Retreat was a survey of community problems and approaches to their solutions that opened up my eyes to the complex nature of our institutional systems and social relations. In both cases, I learned that leadership requires a sense of initiative, study and preparation, and continual practice- experiences I could only see glimpses of in the classroom setting. Both opportunities unified the other components of the program to make for an awesome undergraduate experience.

Tim Q.
European Studies major, class of 2007

The ULP firmly believes in the idea that action followed by reflection leads to learning. This is such a refreshingly different approach to the formal education that I have been accustomed to receiving at the university, high school and even grade school levels. Not only is it a different approach, but has been a useful one as well. This is a class in which theories are put into practice right away, and their effectiveness is reflected upon immediately. It's no secret that concepts seem to resonate better when they are actually put into practice. This program provides students with that learning advantage. And while the concepts one learns in the program are helpful and interesting, the most important thing about the ULP is that it fosters growth of the individual as he or she relates to others.

Gregory S.
Philosophy major, class of 2005

After being part of ULP I now feel free and confident to challenge those differences that I do not feel are benefiting of a group or community I am part of. ULP has also given me great insight on all the members of our society as a whole. This makes me a better leader than I ever was.

Priyanka K.
Communication Studies major, class of 2005

The Undergraduate Leadership Program does not teach you how to be a leader in a formal sense; it teaches you how you to lead and teaches you different types of leadership strategies.  There is no correct way to be a leader, and this is what makes ULP so challenging. Everyone will have a different style and also a different definition of what characterizes a leader. 

Reed V.
Economics, Biochemistry double major, class of 2006

You will go through school and probably hear the phrase "think outside the box" a million times- and never really know if you are doing it. Until ULP I never felt like I knew what it meant to really think outside the box.

Jenni W.
Psychology/Pre-Med major, class of 2006