By Ian Wesselhoff 

L eadership for the public good is a core part of Georgia College & State University’s mission, and first-year students can dive in right away with the Leadership Academy — a unique eight-month program offering access to personalized development plans, exclusive workshops, networking opportunities with nationally recognized leaders, and myriad interactive opportunities to practice leadership. 

The Leadership Academy focuses on teaching students to lead in four main phases: leading themselves, leading others, leading at Georgia College and leading beyond. During each phase, students are asked to attend a consultation or group coaching session, a big kickoff event and two other events of their choice. 

Most students go well beyond that minimum requirement, says Chelsey Brantley, assistant director of Leadership Programs. With two to three events hosted per week throughout the school year, students can completely customize their experience. 

These events include workshops with guest speakers like April Bragg, president and CEO of Robins Regional Chamber, and Anagha Ramakrishnan, researcher at CNN and a GCSU alum; team building activities at the Outdoor Education Center; signature retreats, conferences and travel opportunities; and collaborations with campus partners like the National Scholarships Office, the Career Center and the Office of Community Engagement & Belonging. 

“This experience has given me more confidence to lead, perspective into leaders, and an increasing curiosity in the world around me and how I can positively impact it,” said first-year business management major Savannah Givens. 

Within the first few weeks of school, students sit down with Leadership Programs staff for their first one-on-one consultation. There, they discuss their background, interests and goals, determining a personalized “pathway” that is best suited for the student’s leadership aspirations and identifying events that match their personal interests. 

The program puts an emphasis on building relationships with faculty and staff as well as older students. Many of the consultations are done with “leadership consultants,” students who have gone through some of GCSU’s other leadership programs and choose to spend time mentoring the younger ones in the Leadership Academy. 

“I think in some respects that’s the most valuable relationship that they can build – not with me, but with these older students who are already living it and doing it,” Brantley said. 

Senior marketing major Anna Cruickshank’s involvement in the Leadership Academy as a first-year student caught the attention of Brantley and Director of Leadership Programs Dr. Harold Mock, who asked Cruickshank if she wanted to work for them as a leadership consultant. A year later, she was promoted to head of leadership consultants. 

“The Leadership Academy has opened up so many opportunities,” Cruickshank said. “I’m so grateful for everything that it’s given me.” 

After her time in the Leadership Academy, Cruickshank completed the Leadership Certificate Program, studied abroad in Strasbourg during the Intercultural Leadership Program and was selected as one of just 25 students for the Georgia Education Mentorship program leadership cohort. 

“It truly will help you, even just going through one program as a freshman,” Cruickshank said. “You’ll remember that speaker that said that one thing, and you’ll implement it in your life … it kind of helps shape them early on.” 

As head of leadership consultants, Cruickshank says she enjoys connecting the dots for younger students in the Leadership Academy and helping them realize what their unique path can look like.  

“I don’t think a bigger school could execute it as well as Georgia College does in terms of the personalized experience,” Cruickshank said. “Especially being a small liberal arts school, we offer the opportunity of more self-expression and just kind of doing what you love and what you’re passionate about … I think our academy program has a really good reputation. I don’t think other schools could compare to it.” 

Through its unique liberal arts mission — which encourages students to collaborate across disciplines in a wide array of experiential learning opportunities — GCSU is training the next generation of leaders to create a better world by solving the systemic challenges that cause societal pains. Read about recent projects and success stories.

Header Image: Leadership consultants pose "Paws up!" on the steps of Magnolia Ballroom. (Photo: Chelsey Brantley)