Nearly 300 LEAD Scholars recently gathered for the first-ever Joel and Adrienne Jones LEAD Scholars Welcome Summit.
The event celebrated the 99 first-year students joining the program, the largest LEAD Scholars cohort in the program’s history. There are approximately 315 LEAD Scholars currently attending the University of Michigan.
Founded by the Alumni Association in 2008, the LEAD Scholars program offers merit-based scholarships and empowering community support to admitted students who exemplify the program’s four pillars: leadership, excellence, achievement, and diversity.
Ayanna McConnell, the Alumni Association’s president and CEO, told the group of students that by being part of LEAD, they are in a special community.
“There are people in this room that are going to be a part of your life for a long time,” she said. “What’s so special about LEAD is that the students come from all over, and this is a microcosm of the University.
“There are so many connections you are going to make, and this is just a starting point.”
During the welcome summit, students got to learn about the program and one another, and heard from guest speakers, including LEAD Scholars donor Desmond Howard, ’92, who emphasized the importance of having a built-in community on campus like the program.
“I fill up with so much pride that I can lend my voice, my likeness, to something that is this big, that is this important, that is helping so many students,” Howard said. “You are special to us, you are extremely special to us, and we are honored to be part of the LEAD Scholars program.”
For more information about the LEAD Scholars program or to donate, click here.
