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Are you interested in developing your leadership skills alongside of other first-year and upper-division students, while also having the chance to familiarize yourself with the W&L campus and community? If so, this is the trip for you! We hope you will consider joining us!

Trip Highlights

As a Beyond LEADership participant, you will have the chance to:

• Participate in hands-on workshops and sessions that enhance your leadership knowledge and skills
• Engage with other first-year and upper-division students in meaningful discussions and fun activities
• Learn more about your unique Gallup CliftonStrengths and personal values
• Navigate challenging team-building exercises, including an off-campus hike located near campus
• Get a head start on exploring W&L’s campus and available resources, as well as the city of Lexington
• Complete a final reflection on your personal growth, and identify opportunities on campus that offer further growth during your first year and beyond at W&L

Student Testimonials 

“The best part of Beyond LEADership to me was the mentorship that I gained from the trip. My trip leaders helped guide me through my first year at W&L, and I am still friends with them to this day. I especially loved the cohort system, which allowed me to grow close with other first-years while having the support of a dedicated cohort leader. My experience in Beyond LEADership inspired me to become a trip leader myself. I find it incredibly rewarding to give back to the program and help guide new groups of first-years as they transition into college." 

“Beyond LEADership was one of the best parts of my freshman year. When I first moved in, I knew no one and was nervous about making friends. Beyond LEADership gave me my first friends on campus, and we are still friends today. My trip leaders were inspirational and kind, giving me a friend to look up to when I was confused or homesick. Having such amazing people to look up to influenced my decision to apply to be a trip leader. Now, I have the privilege of walking around campus and seeing all the kind faces I meet on this trip. Beyond LEADership is an amazing opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, meet new people, and learn about different opportunities at W&L.” 

"I loved participating in Beyond LEADership because I met so many great people, got familiar with campus, and explored my leadership skills. Now, as a leader, I get to meet new first-years and help organize the trip that made the start of my college experience so fun! This trip is a great opportunity to learn about being a leader on campus and invest in the resources that make W&L such an exciting place."

"I arrived at W&L knowing nobody, but that all changed quickly on Beyond LEADership. The trip helped me feel like I belonged here, and it was encouraging to meet other first-years who were also figuring things out. We were all in it together. Some of the people I met before my first college class are still my closest friends today. The trip leaders guided us through our introduction to W&L, and now I have the privilege of helping incoming student find their own paths being a trip leader myself. No matter what student want to major in, where they’re from, whether they chose a lifelong friend as a roommate or will meet theirs for the first time on move in day, Beyond LEADership teaches valuable lessons and opens important doors to help students through college and life after."

Questions or comments? Please email Dean Leah Beard, Assistant Dean of Leadership (lbeard@wlu.edu) or Dean Kyle McCoil, Associate Dean of Student Affairs (kmccoil@wlu.edu).