On Sunday, October 3, 2010, the Isabella Cannon Leadership Program convened at its annual Opening Ceremonies, denoting the start of the program year. Keynote speaker, John Barnhill (‘92), Assistant Vice President for University Advancement, challenged students to give back, to become civically engaged, and to live the legacy of the program’s benefactor, Isabella Cannon. Additionally this year, the program unveiled the Hilaire C. Pickett Leadership Grant created by Isabella Cannon Leadership Program Alumni, Hilaire Pickett (’08). This grant started as Pickett’s legacy project while at Elon and has grown in the years since graduation.
The four-phase Isabella Cannon Leadership Program uses concepts derived from an interdisciplinary approach in order to help students learn and practice leadership. The goal of the program is to develop students’ understanding of the nature, potential and responsibility of leadership in its attempt to create positive change for the common good.
On Sunday, October 3, 2010, the Isabella Cannon Leadership Program convened at its annual Opening Ceremonies, denoting the start of the program year. Keynote speaker, John Barnhill (‘92), Assistant Vice President for University Advancement, challenged students to give back, to become civically engaged, and to live the legacy of the program’s benefactor, Isabella Cannon, using the whimsical words of Shel Silverstein:
“You have a magic carpet that will whiz you through the air, to Spain or Maine or Africa if you just tell it where. So will you let it take you where you’ve never been before, or will you buy some drapes to match and use it on your floor?”
Additionally this year, the program unveiled the Hilaire C. Pickett Leadership Grant created by Isabella Cannon Leadership Program Alumni, Hilaire Pickett (’08). This grant started as Pickett’s legacy project while at Elon and has grown in the years since graduation. Pickett established the grant with three goals in mind:
• to annually recognize two rising juniors and/or seniors who exemplify outstanding Cannon Leadership
• to create meaningful ways for the ICLP alumni to donate time to the program
• to establish the Cannon Leadership Legacy Fund for the future endowment of the Isabella Cannon Leadership Program
Recipients honored with the grant include: Jesse Lee (’11), Caitlin Clarke (’13) and Samuel Yow (’13). Lee’s passion around environmental sustainability led him most recently to building a two person recumbent tricycle capable of traveling long distances on human and renewable energy. This summer, he attempted to drive the tricycle across country while raising money for schools in Sri Lanka. Clarke and Yow assisted with a leadership pilot program in Vilnius, Lithuania, teaching leadership principles and key communication skills.