Leadership Development

Leadership Development

We help students realize their potential — not just as students, but as leaders. Students find their passion and take charge of it by working as organization presidents, founding clubs, serving on university committees and volunteering in the local community.

From opportunities on campus, like becoming a resident advisor or peer tutor, to participating in leadership and service in local organizations in the greater community, plenty of W&L students find themselves in leadership positions throughout their four years on campus.

Leadership Initiatives

LEAD Program

The LEAD Program is a two-year, comprehensive leadership program purposed to empower students to discover their potential and develop their skills as leaders. The program aims to enhance student learning and development in areas of self-knowledge and leadership competence through various workshops, teambuilding exercises, roundtable discussions, reflective activities, and service.

AIM Program

The mission of the Advanced Immersion and Mentoring (AIM) initiative is to instill an increased sense of confidence and belonging within incoming first-year students through immersive research and programming with W&L faculty and staff. The program offers residential and virtual opportunities.

Other Opportunities to Lead

Student Government

Student councils and committees are a vital part of the Washington and Lee community. We believe in structures that are student-led, student-governed and student-elected.

Residence Life

Residence Life leaders perform many roles, such as Resident Adviser or Community Assistant, living with and providing programming for students in on-campus housing. You also could be part of the First-Year Orientation Committee, which helps to prepare campus for the next incoming class, or be a Pre-Orientation Trip Leader.

Peer Connectors

The Peer Connectors Program is a team of student volunteers dedicated to helping other students navigate their college experience by answering questions, providing advice and offering support.

Greek Life

Fraternities and sororities exist for the personal and professional development of their members and their community. Greek life is typically founded on principles of scholarship, leadership, friendship and service that are taught internally by a national ritual to the members who strive to exhibit those principles in their daily lives.

In the Community

W&L students are actively engaged in the Lexington and Rockbridge County communities. Examples range from tutoring in local schools to providing interpretation services for the hospital, and from helping to build houses with Habitat for Humanity to working at the local domestic violence shelter.

Leadership through Service

75% of the student body participates in community service on campus or across the globe.

Stories


W&L Student Empowers Her Community through Davis Projects for Peace

Anshika Patel ’26 spent her summer scaling up an initiative offering public health education and vocational training in her community.

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From Mystery to Mastery

A chance encounter in the Science Center as a child set Alyssa Cirrincione ’25 on a path to pursue her curiosity at W&L.

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W&L Holds 2025 Leadership Excellence Awards

The annual banquet recognizes the many individual and group accomplishments of W&L students within the past year. 

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Looking Forward and Giving Back

The Class of 2025’s Senior Gift Committee co-chairs have already sailed past their monetary goal as they look toward Commencement.

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Connecting a Global Movement

Students in W&L’s Bonner Program spent the last year creating a digital map of health care networks for people experiencing homelessness worldwide.

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Positivity Meets Personal Connections

Mariam Drammeh ’25 has approached research, internships and campus involvement with an eye toward a future rooted in service to others.

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Project Uplift

Three W&L students partnered with an NGO in Ghana this summer to create a training program for aspiring female entrepreneurs.

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Opportunity to Thrive

Adhip Adhikari ’27 spent much of his summer creating a library at a secondary school near his family’s home in Katmandu, Nepal.

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Impacting Lives Through Words

Veronika Kolosova ’25 has explored the liberal arts experience at W&L through campus involvement and an interdisciplinary approach to her studies.

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Addie-Grace Cook '25 interning at Project Horizon.

Summer of Growth

Addie-Grace Cook ’25, a politics major with a double minor in Middle East and South Asia studies and poverty and human capability studies, is spending her summer making an impact in the greater Rockbridge community through a Shepherd Program internship with Project Horizon.

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Melos Ambaye '25 poses with children involved with Amen Charitable Organization.

Turning a Vision Into Reality

Melos Ambaye ’25 is helping children in Ethiopia as part of her Shepherd summer internship.

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Ben Bankston '25

Leading By Example

Ben Bankston ’25 is finding opportunities at W&L to challenge himself in and out of the classroom.

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