Jenks Leadership Program

Sandy Jenks ’47 had a vision of a student leadership program that would help shape future leaders in the service of others. Jenks is that vision, named for the BC alumnus and administrator that worked tirelessly for the students. 

About the Program

The Jenks Leadership Program (JLP) is the signature student leadership program of the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics and the Boston College community. JLP, named for Weston “Sandy” Jenks ’47, identifies and prepares undergraduate men and women to take up leadership roles in the service of others and the common good. Strongly influenced by Robert Greenleaf’s work on Servant Leadership, JLP provides a solid foundation to enable its graduates to become responsible leaders in a global society. This complements Sandy Jenks’s original vision and fits the motto he developed, “Learning for Leadership, Leadership for Service.”


Semester Modules

Individual Leadership (Spring Semester I)
Module one will consist of a series of workshops that work on developing participants’ individual leadership skills.

Team Leadership (Fall Semester I)
Module two’s workshops will focus on the dynamics of team leadership with participants being grouped into small teams (4-5 members) and each team planning a service project.

Service Project (Spring Semester II)
During module three, the teams will execute their service projects.


Quick Facts

200

hours of community service performed by Jenks students

40

hours dedicated to leadership training


Apply

This program is open to all Boston College freshmen, sophomores, and juniors from all schools. The application process for Jenks class of 2025 will begin in Fall 2023.

Selection Criteria:

  1. Commitment to and potential for leadership
  2. Strong commitment to service for others
  3. Ability to contribute to group learning
  4. Commitment to attend and participate in all program events
2018 Graduation Class

Photo Gallery

Weston M. "Sandy" Jenks

Weston M. "Sandy" Jenks founded the Leadership Training Group in 1967 to prepare students for leadership roles in groups and organizations. This group was soon rebranded as the Paraprofessional Leader Group (PLG). Jenks was strongly influenced by the work of Robert Greenleaf (Servant Leadership) and John Gardner (author, presidential advisor, and founder of Common Cause). In 1992, on the occasion of the PLG's 25th anniversary, the program was renamed the Jenks Leadership Program in his honor. The focus today continues to be on leadership in service to others.

Jenks founded the Office of Counseling Services at Boston College and served as its Director for 21 years. He was a counselor and confidante to scores of Boston College students during a career that spanned 47 years, beginning when he arrived as a freshman at age 16, in 1941.

Meet the Jenks Class

Jenks Alumni

The Student Advisory and Networking Council

The Student Advisory and Networking Council was created for Jenks alumni who are still enrolled at Boston College. This is an opportunity for students to remain engaged in the Jenks program through graduation. Members of the council serve as ambassadors for the program and promote it to new students, serve as unofficial mentors to current Jenks students, and contribute overall to the program development.

Joseph G. Bonito Servant Leadership Award

The Joseph G. Bonito Servant Leadership Award is presented to a Jenks graduating student who is unanimously selected by the student directors as the person who best exemplifies the Jenks program's motto “learning for leadership and leadership for service.”

Joe Bonito

Joe Bonito

Joe Bonito '79 is the Senior Vice President, Learning & Leadership Development Executive at Bank of America. He holds a BA from Boston College, an MS from the University of Pennsylvania, and an Executive Masters in Human Resource Leadership from Rutgers University. Joe also holds a DBA from Temple University. As an undergraduate student, Joe participated in what was then the Paraprofessional Leader Group (PLG) and later served as a student director. Dubbed by Sandy Jenks as a "rough gem," Joe admired and emulated Sandy and, since he graduated from BC, has continued to give back to the program by leading workshops year after year. In the words of one student who benefited from Joe's tutelage, "Joe has been an invaluable foundation and glue to Jenks and the PLG before that. His unselfish commitment and service to this organization have been exemplary and in the true spirit of Sandy Jenks." Joe has given more than four decades of service to the Jenks Leadership Program, and when we marked the 50th anniversary of the Jenks program, the Joseph G. Bonito Servant Leadership Award was created in his honor.

Past Recipients

Mehdi Kayi

Mehdi Kayi '24 flanked by student directors Tori Wittgen '22 and Tyler Williams '22

Mehdi Kayi '24

Speech by Tori Wittgen ’22, Jenks Student Director

I am incredibly proud to present this year’s Servant Leadership Award. I remember the first time I met this recipient, and I thought to myself, “this person is going to be a joy to listen to and learn with for the next two years”. I knew at that initial moment that they were kind and thoughtful, but I can truly say that they exceeded every expectation over the past two years.

This person juggles club responsibilities and a difficult course load with grace, and always found a way to prioritize Jenks events — even to the extreme of suffering a two-hour car ride alone with me. And, in those events, he gave attention that not only allowed him to engage wholeheartedly in the activities but his thoughtfulness and kindhearted attitude encouraged the people around him to do the same. He is both an active contributor and an active listener. You can hear the evidence of his rapt listening in the pauses before he responds.

Every year, the Joseph G. Bonito Servant Leadership Award is presented to a Jenks graduating student who is unanimously selected by the student directors as the person who best exemplifies the Jenks Program’s motto, “Learning for leadership, leadership for service.” It is my honor to present this award to Medhi Kayi, for his constant commitment to be a person for and with others, and for his unwavering compassion and thoughtfulness. It’s incredibly difficult for me and Tyler to graduate and leave Boston College in just a few short weeks, but I find joy in knowing that we are leaving the Heights to incredibly servant leaders like yourself. Congratulations Mehdi!