{"id":95320,"date":"2019-03-14T12:09:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-14T16:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=95320"},"modified":"2025-06-17T14:41:03","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T18:41:03","slug":"lead-scholars-academy-wins-2019-outstanding-leadership-program-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/lead-scholars-academy-wins-2019-outstanding-leadership-program-year\/","title":{"rendered":"LEAD Scholars Academy Wins 2019 Outstanding Leadership Program of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"
UCF\u2019s LEAD Scholars Academy<\/a> this week was chosen as the 2019 Outstanding Leadership Program of the Year at a conference hosted in Los Angeles by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, a student affairs organization for higher education. The award recognizes programs from the association\u2019s 1,400 campuses in 25 countries that are transforming higher education through best practices.<\/p>\n \u201cI think LEAD Scholars Academy is such an important program for students since leadership is important for everyone, no matter what one’s major or\u00a0future career choice may be,\u201d says Stacey Malaret, director of the program. \u201cLeadership will always help students stand out from their peers in a positive way. More importantly, leadership development allows our students to lead others at UCF effectively so that they too can be transformed into leaders in their own right.\u201d<\/p>\n The academy was established in 1995 and this year has about 1,000 students engaged in leadership experiences, civic projects, student organizations, research and volunteer opportunities in the community. Incoming high school students apply for the first-time-in-college program and commit to a two-year leadership-development program and classes. Transfers and students in upper classes participate in U-LEAD, semester-long programs that focus on leadership tracks.\u00a0Other programs offered include a virtual-leadership academy and the Clinton Global Initiative 海角直播, which each year hosts a meeting to discuss and develop innovative solutions to pressing global challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cOur motto in LEAD is \u2018To Learn, To LEAD, and To Serve.\u2019”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cOur motto in LEAD is \u2018To Learn, To LEAD, and To Serve.\u2019 By combining the academic knowledge of leadership studies in the classroom, the opportunity to lead through high-impact co-curricular activities and serve others in the community\u00a0this allows UCF to create the best well-rounded students,\u201d Malaret says. \u201cBy having trained leaders, who also have a social-change mindset, it allows our community partners to thrive and receive the help they need to make Central Florida a better place to live.\u201d<\/p>\n A key part of the academy is volunteer service, with students donating more than 18,000 hours of work last year.<\/p>\n The biggest project is the Knights Helping Knights Pantry, which was started by LEAD Scholars and this month celebrated its 10th anniversary. The pantry last year distributed nearly 70,000 pounds of food, clothing, cleaning supplies and other products to students in need.<\/p>\n Other LEAD Scholars have started programs such as Hearts for the Homeless<\/a>, which provides health screenings to Orlando\u2019s homeless population, and Green Greeks, an effort to educate students about the importance of harvesting produce locally to help end food insecurity.<\/p>\n