The Emerge Summer Leadership Institute is a comprehensive one-week program designed to welcome and prepare incoming first-year students admitted to the President's Emerging Scholars (PES) Program at the University. This immersive experience provides the leadership skills, tools, and mindset needed to thrive academically and personally throughout your college journey and beyond.
Through a blend of interactive workshops, group activities, and mentorship, you’ll explore key areas such as discovering your leadership style, mastering college success strategies, building a meaningful support network, and fostering personal growth by developing resilience, self-advocacy, and confidence to lead and thrive at the University.
Why Emerge?
As a President’s Emerging Scholar, you are part of an exceptional community committed to excellence. The Emerge Institute is designed specifically for you—providing a safe, supportive space where you can:
- Building Confidence and Self-Advocacy: Emerge helps students recognize their strengths, develop a sense of purpose, and build confidence in their abilities. It ensures that students know how to seek out resources, communicate effectively, and take charge of their education.
- Building a Support Network: During Emerge, students create strong peer and peer mentor connections along with relationships with faculty and staff who share your academic passion and drive for success.. These connections provide encouragement, networking opportunities, and emotional support throughout college.
- Navigating University Systems and Resources: Many new students are unfamiliar with how universities work. Emerge will introduce students to campus resources, teach them how to communicate with professors and advisors, and help them understand financial aid, student organizations, and career services.
What to Expect
During the week-long program, you will engage in:
- Workshops and Seminars focused on leadership, time management, communication, and personal development.
- Team-building Activities designed to strengthen collaboration and foster lifelong friendships.
- Mentorship and Networking with upperclassmen, faculty, and staff who are invested in your success.
- Interactive Discussions around key topics such as diversity, inclusion, and navigating the college experience
Program Options
The Emerge program offers two separate one-week sessions. Participants may only attend one of the two sessions.
The first session: Sunday, July 20, 2025, to Friday, July 25, 2025
The second session: Sunday, July 27, 2025, to Friday, August 1, 2025.
In your application, please select the session that best fits your schedule, as space is limited, and participants can only enroll in one session. During both sessions, you will have access to choosing to live on campus in one of our campus residence halls or commute to campus daily. If you decide to commute, we will cover your Metro transit pass or parking fee. Both commuter students and students living with us will have access to breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily during the program.