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WFU Students Represent at Service Academy Conferences

Cranes placing blocks that spell "Leadership".

In January and February, four Wake Forest students represented their school at student leadership conferences at the United States Naval Academy and United States Air Force Academy.   The Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character sponsors the Student Academies Leadership Conference Program, for which any undergraduate student at the University is welcome to apply.

Mac Selverian (Junior, BEM major) and Tiller Tillinghast (Junior, Political Science major) attended the 2015 Naval Academy Leadership Conference, Leading in an Interconnected World, at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, January 26-28, 2015.

Mac Selverian shared this regarding his conference experience:

“Attending the US Naval Academy Leadership Conference has been one of my most rewarding experiences at Wake Forest. One key takeaway for me was to never underestimate the power of interpersonal relationships as they are not just important for successful leadership, but vital. Additionally, we found that the most effective leaders are those able to earn the trust of their followers rather than simply command it.”

February 26-27, 2015,  Senior BEM Major, Tyler Gaetano and Junior Politics and International Affairs Major, Nicole Ladouceur attended the 22nd Annual National Character and Leadership Symposium.  This conference was held at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  When asked about his experience, Tyler said:  “The conference was a great experience for me, and I am very glad that I had the opportunity to attend.”  Some of his key takeaways from the conference were:

  • Lead by example, and know when to lead and when to follow
  • Know how to push back while being respectful
  • Stand up for your principles even if it hurts your job prospects

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Tyler Gaetano and Nicole Ladouceur in the US Air Force Academy cadet chapel
Tyler Gaetano and Nicole Ladouceur in the US Air Force Academy cadet chapel

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Tiller Tillinghast, Mac Selverian, and midshipman 2nd class Gordon Carroll
Tiller Tillinghast, Mac Selverian, and midshipman 2nd class Gordon Carroll

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The remaining service academy leadership conferences for this academic year will be the 2015 Principled Leadership Symposium at the Citadel Military College of South Carolina, March 11-12, and the  2015 McDonald Cadet Leadership Conference held at the United States Military Academy at West Point, April 16-19, 2015.  Addison McLamb, a junior Chinese Language and Culture major and Nicole White, a senior BEM major, will represent Wake Forest respectively, at these opportunities.