INDIANAPOLIS (June 30, 2016) — From June 25-27, the nineteen brothers selected as the 2016 Academy Fellows traveled to Morgantown, Indiana for an intensive, distraction free, leadership retreat. The secluded setting of the Academy allowed for their unhindered growth, as they opened themselves up to new ideas and experiences.
Pictured: (Back Row – Left to Right) Rachel Alvey, Blair Nelson, Dabin Park, Patrick Northcraft, Joseph Adeoye, Cassidy Doohan, Scott Ho, Emma Li, Nathan Leo (Front Row – Left to Right) Alyson Logel, Kevin Hurt, Moiz Ali, Varidhi Kejriwal, Alyssa Nigh, Jessica Nguyen, Gina Testa, Anne McCarty Not Pictured: Ryan Lesley and Blake Dagenais
Funded by the Alpha Kappa Psi Foundation, the Academy is an all-expenses paid fellowship to a customized, hands-on, leadership experience designed to make even the best of Alpha Kappa Psi more impactful, value-based leaders. Varidhi Kejriwal, Hong Kong ’15 described the Academy as an opportunity full of unique challenges and areas to grow. “I think the people you meet here are also resources and assets and you’ll probably be friends with them for your entire lives,” said Kejriwal. “I think that’s the kind of support you need to keep going forward […] because this is one of those journey’s where when you reach a milestone, there is another one to reach. You take everything you have learned and couple it with the experiences you had, and the memories you had and get the support from the people you met here, and take the journey that keeps moving forward.”
“I think I grew a lot as a leader” said Scott Ho, Cal Poly – SLO ’15. “It sounds cliché, but I definitely did grow as a leader and as a person. Whether that be ethics or morals and views of what I do, […] it will show in my character when I go back to other chapters as well.” The participants enjoyed the separation from everyday life while hitting the ground running from day one, learning leadership skills, teamwork, and a new perspective on change and systems thinking.The Academy is facilitated by professionals and provides the students the opportunity to evaluate their leadership styles, values, ethics, knowledge, and integrity.
