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Davenport Leaders
New Summer Institute prepares students to lead
The Davenport Leadership
Institute was designed to
build community and develop
the College’s promising student
leaders.
The three-week Institute
is a new part of the Davenport
Leadership Program, which was
created by Joseph Davenport
in memory of his wife Susan
Funkhouser Davenport ’69.
Forty students, ranging from
rising sophomores to seniors,
applied for the 17 available spots
in the summer Institute, and
participants were selected based
on written applications and an
intensive interview process.
“We are training our current
students in areas we think are
important for them and for the
College; things like principles of
leadership, how we understand
community, and how we build
community,” said Kim Sheldon,
director of student success.
During the session, workshops
and seminars focused on such
topics as leadership principles,
conflict resolution, intercultural
understanding, and mentoring
skills.
“It is highly important
for students, not faculty
and staff, to explain the
College’s traditions to the
first-years.”
Allie Starbuck ’12
Davenport Leader
In addition to the leadership
curriculum, Davenport students
helped lead Randolph College’s
early orientation programs this
summer. In the past, orientation
for new students was held the week
before classes began. This year, two
sessions were held in June as a way
to ease the transition to college.
“I am extremely excited to be a
role model for my sister class, the
first-years,” said Allie Starbuck ’12,
one of the Davenport Leaders.
The student leaders were
enthusiastic about sharing their
experiences on campus with the
newest class of Randolph students.
“It is highly important for students,
not faculty and staff, to explain
the College’s traditions to the
first-years,” Starbuck said. “These
traditions are something that the
students share as a common bond
between classes.”
The end result of the new
Davenport program was a winwin,
according to Tina Johnson,
director of Randolph’s Experiential
Learning Center.
“You get the benefit of a small
group of students connecting with
each other and having this leadership
opportunity, and at the same time,
having a big impact on the entire
first-year class,” she said.
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