Emerging Leader Program - Office of Student Involvement

Leadership Development

The Emerging Leader Program: Leaders for Others

Since its inception in 1988, the Emerging Leader Program (ELP) has earned the reputation of being a premiere leadership program for first-year students at Boston College. Each year, 50 first-year students are selected to participate in the one-year leadership development program. Guided by the Social Change Model of leadership development, ELP aims to form leaders for others. By participating in ELP, students develop the leadership skills and competencies necessary to facilitate positive change on campus and in their communities.

This yearlong leadership development program will equip and empower students to engage in leadership during their time at Boston College and beyond through large and small group activities and discussions, events, experiential outings, service, and mentorship.

Application Deadline: Friday, July 14th, 2023 at 11:59 PM.

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Program Highlights

Upperclassmen Mentors

ELP Retreat

ELP Small Groups

Weekly ELP Meetings

Signature ELP Events

Service Partnership

Program Requirements

Move onto campus early and attend the ELP Welcome on Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022* This move-in date is very tentative and subject to University approval.
Participate in the ELP Retreat from Wednesday, August 24th - Thursday, August 25th, 2023* This retreat date is very tentative and subject to University approval.
Participate in weekly ELP meetings during both Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters on Tuesdays from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Participate in ELP Team-Building Day on Saturday, October 8th, 2022* and the ELP Trip to Downtown Boston on Saturday, April 15th, 2023*
Complete the five ELP Core Experiences:

Participate in a Student Involvement Fair during either the Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 semesters
Participate in a Wellness Coaching Session during either the Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 semesters
Participate in a Bowman AHANA & Intercultural Center B.R.A.V.E. Conference during either the Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 semesters
Participate in Leadership Day 2023 on Saturday, January 28th, 2023*
Participate in one hour of weekly service at the Saint Columbkille Partnership School during both Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters

Be enrolled full time (12 credit hours) at Boston College for both Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters
Pay a $150 non-refundable program fee**
Maintain open communication with peers and program leaders
Be open to learning and challenging oneself

**All dates are tentative and subject to change and adjustments to the program may be made to be compliant with state, local, and University guidelines related to COVID-19.
**Under a number of circumstances, this fee may be waived. Please contact us at elp@bc.edu with questions or concerns.

ELP Facilitators

Emerging Leader Program (ELP) Facilitators foster the leadership development of first-year students while also guiding them through their transition into the Boston College community. ELP Facilitators provide a meaningful mentoring relationship while helping new students learn what it means to be a leader for others.

The 2022–2023 ELP Facilitators

ELP Facilitators

Courtenay Lutz
ELP Senior Coordinator
LSEHD ‘24, Applied Psychology and Human Development
Hometown: Denver, Colorado

Hannah Bingham
MCAS ‘26, International Studies
Hometown: Great Falls, MT

Charlie Burke
MCAS ‘26, Economics
Hometown: Annapolis, MD

Joseph Ikossi Le
MCAS 26’, Biochemistry and Economics
Hometown: Santa Clara, CA

Tori Isernia
MCAS ‘26, Biology
Hometown: Huntington, NY

Luke McDonald
MCAS ‘26, International Studies
Hometown: Hingham, MA

Joey Nassar
CSOM ‘26, Finance and Marketing
Hometown: Lake Forest, IL

Billy Peters
MCAS ‘26, Psychology
Hometown: Monroe Township, NJ

Nick Rabjohn
MCAS ‘26, Economics and Psychology
Hometown: Solana Beach, CA

Elizabeth Silva
CSOM ‘26, Management & Leadership, Operations Management
Hometown: Chelmsford, MA

Kira Stoetzer
CSOM ‘26, Undecided
Hometown: Honolulu, HI

By participating in the Emerging Leader Program (ELP), students will:

Attend the ELP Retreat
Attend weekly ELP Meetings during both Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters (Tuesdays from 6:00-8:00pm)
Participate in service at the Saint Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton, MA
Attend monthly ELP Outings
Be enrolled full time (12 credit hours) at BC for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters
Pay a $150 non-refundable program fee*
Maintain open communication with peers and program facilitators
Be open to learning and challenging oneself

Career readiness competencies developed through this program:

Leadership
Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. The individual is able to assess and manage his/her emotions and those of others; use empathetic skills to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work.
Teamwork/Collaboration
Build collaborative relationships with colleagues representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. The individual is able to work within a team structure, and can negotiate and manage conflict.
Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
Exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems. The individual is able to obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and may demonstrate originality and inventiveness.
Professionalism/Work Ethic
Demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time workload management, and understand the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image. The individual demonstrates integrity and ethical behavior, acts responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and is able to learn from his/her mistakes.

Participants must be able to fulfill the following requirements:

Attend the ELP Retreat
Attend weekly ELP Meetings during both Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters (Tuesdays from 6:00-8:00pm)
Participate in service at the Saint Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton, MA
Attend monthly ELP Outings
Be enrolled full time (12 credit hours) at BC for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters
Pay a $150 non-refundable program fee*
Maintain open communication with peers and program facilitators
Be open to learning and challenging oneself

*Under a number of circumstances, this fee may be waived. Please contact us at elp@bc.edu with questions or concerns.

The Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship

The Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to the freshman in the Emerging Leader Program whose leadership skills and potential are best represented by Boston College’s philosophies of “Ever to Excel” and being “Men and Women for Others.”

The scholarship recipient is selected by the director of the Emerging Leader Program and announced each year, at the end-of-the-year ELP banquet.

Kevin M. Eidt was a member of the Boston College class of 2000. A freshman in the Emerging Leader Program, Kevin died of cardiac arrest during an intramural basketball game in the second semester of his freshman year. In recognition of the tremendous impact he made on the Boston College community in such a short time, Kevin was posthumously awarded the Nicholas H. Woods Leadership Award, sponsored by the Office of Student Development.

In addition, the Liturgical Arts Group dedicated their "I Want to Praise Your Name" CD to Kevin and the men and women's intramural basketball championship trophy is named in his honor. This scholarship was created as a legacy to a young man who, in one semester, made a positive impact on the BC community, lived the motto "Ever to Excel" and approached every day with the exuberance and determination to live life to its fullest.

The scholarship is funded by the Kevin Eidt Fund at Boston College, which is supported by alumni contributions and grants from the Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship Fund; a 501(c)(3) publicly supported charitable organization.

Past scholarship recipients

Testimonials

“Through ELP, I have learned the importance of taking intentional notice of the qualities that make you a unique leader able to collaborate with others though the small group instances and opportunities that may seem mundane or inconsequential. It is in these moments that true leadership is not only nourished and developed, but also internalized by those you touch. By using our strengths to serve and inspire others, we are empowering those around us in the purest way possible.”

ELP Participant, 2018-2019
“ELP has opened my eyes to how open minded and thoughtful and honest we can and should be. By having conversations about difficult topics in ELP, I have seen how willing my peers are to discuss these things and fight for change in all aspects of their lives. This is what real leadership is to me, and by seeing my friends be leaders in conventional and unconventional ways, I have been inspired to be a leader in my own way.”

ELP Participant, 2018-2019
“At the beginning of last semester, I wasn’t sure what college would be, who I’d be around, or what I’d become. ELP has helped me gain some understanding in all of these areas. ELP has helped me further the belief that college is an opportunity to get involved, impact others, be impacted by others, and be a voice for change when necessary. It gave me 50+ people to start this journey with, an amazing small group with amazing facilitators who both model different traits I’d like to attain and help to forge the person I’d like to become. ”

ELP Participant, 2018-2019
“As an ELP member, I have experienced firsthand how the values of the Social Change Model help develop a sense of social responsibility, help in learning to appreciate diversity, and create a positive impact on one’s perception toward life.”

ELP Participant, 2018-2019
“As an ELP member, I have experienced firsthand how the values of Social Change Model help develop a sense of social responsibility, learn to appreciate diversity, and create a positive impact on one’s perception toward life.”

ELP Participant, 2018-2019
“I’ve come to realize with the help of my small group and the larger ELP community that this program is a place where exceptional students come together and share personal perspectives, opinions, and stories.”

ELP Participant, 2018-2019