Institute for Leadership and the Public Good

By Ian Wesselhoff On Feb. 5, Dr. Harold Mock, director of Georgia College Leadership Programs and interim assistant vice president for International Education, shared his thoughts – and countless others’ thoughts – on the enduring, eternal nature of education at the 13th annual John H. Lounsbury Distinguished Lecture Series on American Education. Mock was a high school social studies teacher for seven of his 20 years as an educator, and he has attended every lecture in the series since...

By Gil Pound Sophomore Charlotte Williams is blending skills from multiple disciplines to prepare for her future, embodying Georgia College & State University’s designation as the state’s public liberal arts university. The Johns Creek, Georgia native is an art major concentrated on graphic design with a minor in management information systems. She hopes to one day leverage her multidisciplinary education into a unique career, like user experience design or creating 3D renderings for...

By Gil Pound Nearly 400 Bobcats will don graduation regalia and join the ranks of Georgia College & State University alumni Saturday. Soon after, Hannah Pelt and Madison Townsend will trade their caps and gowns for scrubs as they put their nursing degrees to work. The duo are Georgia College’s first graduates of the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Nursing Scholars Program, which provides full four-year scholarships – housing, meal plan and books included – to qualified students. “Saving...

By Gil Pound On Veterans Day, Usery Forum on Leadership speaker Walter Deriso used two highly decorated military commanders as examples in his talk on principled leadership to an audience of Georgia College students, faculty, staff and community guests. America’s 34th President Dwight Eisenhower – a five-star U.S. Army general prior to his time in office – and Army Gen. Colin Powell – former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and secretary of state – were among the names Deriso...

By Amanda Respess For the past 25 years, Georgia Education Mentorship — more commonly known as the GEM program — has defined leadership in action. Nearly 800 Georgia College students have completed the one-of-a-kind program, which pairs undergraduates with state changemakers from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce for a yearlong partnership that benefits mentees and mentors alike. “Georgia College and the Georgia Chamber are two institutions uniquely positioned to shape the future of...

By Ian Wesselhoff Thanks to her demonstrated commitment to service,  junior political science major Mia Simmons was recently awarded the Reagan Institute Civic Leaders Fellowship – a six-month program designed for students dedicated to strengthening civic life and bringing forth positive change. Simmons is one of 25 students to earn the fellowship from a nationwide pool of nearly 200 applicants, and she is the first from Georgia College & State University to ever be selected. “When...

By Ian Wesselhoff In the back of her mind, senior mass communication major Paige Blakemore had thought about giving a TED Talk ever since her middle school teachers began playing them in class. But a year ago, it started to feel tangible. In her role as communications specialist for the Office of Leadership Programs at Georgia College & State University, her first big project was working on last year’s TEDxGeorgiaCollege event.With scripts in hand, she ensured each speaker’s talk ran...