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.



Apply

This program is open to all Boston College freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. The 2023 application process is closed. The next application process will be in Fall 2024.

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

Meet the Jenks Class

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.

 

Isabella Sepulveda

Isabella Sepulveda '25 and director, Chris Strohman '23

2023 Recipient

Isabella Sepulveda '25

Speech by Sarah Flynn ’23, Jenks Student Director

Every year, The Joseph G. Bonito Servant Leadership Award is presented to a graduating member of the Jenks Leadership Program who best exemplifies the Jenks motto “learning for leadership and leadership for service.” When it comes to this year’s recipient, I am proud to say that she modeled the powerful words of learning, leadership, and service in every single workshop, interaction, and activity Jenks provided her with. I am never going to forget her interview; when I asked her “why she wanted to apply to Jenks,” she responded, “because I want to challenge myself to be a better person in the spirit of Boston College’s motto “men and women for others.” Her confidence with which she spoke signaled that she would greatly influence her classmates who would be part of The Jenks Class of 2023. There are so many things that make this individual the powerful leader she is, but I think the key things that had the greatest influence on the class were her vibrant smile, laughter, and kind heart. Regardless of how she felt, she came to every workshop or activity with a large smile, which helped raise her classmate’s enthusiasm and engagement. In addition to her strong character, the sense of loyalty she shows the people and things she cares about is immeasurable, as shown by her near-perfect workshop attendance record amidst a rigorous academic and extracurricular schedule. In attending her group's service project, I was amazed at the social awareness and activism the group put toward the planning and execution of The Hearts for Homies mental health panel. I am excited to see how the conversation continues in the Boston College community. The legacy this project now has on the people who attended the event symbolizes how her positive energy motivates others to be the best they can be and how her warm smile and calming presence invite others to be authentic and vulnerable around her.

I have watched from afar as this recipient has found her voice and leadership style across the last three semesters. For this and much more, it is my greatest joy to present this year’s Joseph Bonito Servant Leadership Award to the deserving Isabella Sepulveda.

Isabella, in honor of The Jenks Class of 2023, never stop bringing your smile wherever you go and showing the same kindness we have all had the privilege of experiencing with every person you cross paths with. Stanley West once said, “Smile, and the whole world will smile with you.” A leader who smiles communicates trust and acceptance and builds connection, all things the world needs as it strives to become a better place. The world needs more of you, Isabella, so never stop advocating for others, chasing your dreams, and remaining true to your values. No matter what happens in the end, your Jenks classmates will always be there to support you.

 Congratulations Isabella! 

Past Recipients

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.