Four Wartburg College students will put their leadership abilities to the test in February.
Sophomores Jenna Brannaman, Michelle Hahn, Brooke Huffaker and Hailey Schmitz are part of Wartburg’s Baldwin Leadership Fellows Program and will attend the National Character & Leadership Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., Feb. 22-23. The two-day experience is hosted by the United States Air Force Academy and provides students with opportunities to grow character and develop leadership skills.
Junior Morgan Johnson attended the conference in 2017 with classmates Trygve Anderson, Nick Arp and Madison Bloker. While there, students live in bunks with cadets and get the full experience of living on an Air Force Academy base.
“Each day I was able to listen to a variety of motivational speakers ranging from athletes, to businessmen and women, retired war veterans, and Olympians. Each speaker had a different topic that connected to both character and leadership,” Johnson said.
Attendance at the symposium is a requirement of the Baldwin Fellows Program, now in its second year at Wartburg. The fellowship was created to honor the contributions of Mark and Peggy Baldwin to the college. Each year, first-year students are nominated and must apply to participate. The four selected participants must commit to the program for the remainder of their time at Wartburg. Their goal is to expand the conversation about leadership education and civic engagement on campus.
“There are so many ways to get involved, find your passions and grow your own leadership skills,” Brannaman said.
Each year, fellows learn about leadership through experiences like the symposium, becoming mentors for younger fellows, implementing civic engagement projects, and coordinating a leadership training for high school or college students based on those experiences.
Sophomores Jenna Brannaman, Michelle Hahn, Brooke Huffaker and Hailey Schmitz are part of Wartburg’s Baldwin Leadership Fellows Program and will attend the National Character & Leadership Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., Feb. 22-23. The two-day experience is hosted by the United States Air Force Academy and provides students with opportunities to grow character and develop leadership skills.
Junior Morgan Johnson attended the conference in 2017 with classmates Trygve Anderson, Nick Arp and Madison Bloker. While there, students live in bunks with cadets and get the full experience of living on an Air Force Academy base.
“Each day I was able to listen to a variety of motivational speakers ranging from athletes, to businessmen and women, retired war veterans, and Olympians. Each speaker had a different topic that connected to both character and leadership,” Johnson said.
Attendance at the symposium is a requirement of the Baldwin Fellows Program, now in its second year at Wartburg. The fellowship was created to honor the contributions of Mark and Peggy Baldwin to the college. Each year, first-year students are nominated and must apply to participate. The four selected participants must commit to the program for the remainder of their time at Wartburg. Their goal is to expand the conversation about leadership education and civic engagement on campus.
“There are so many ways to get involved, find your passions and grow your own leadership skills,” Brannaman said.
Each year, fellows learn about leadership through experiences like the symposium, becoming mentors for younger fellows, implementing civic engagement projects, and coordinating a leadership training for high school or college students based on those experiences.