August 18, 2023
LEAD Academy, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA)’s almost two-decade-old program to help new students integrate into college life, is getting a huge boost thanks to Greylock Federal Credit Union (Greylock).
Greylock has pledged $100,000 to support a reimagined Greylock LEAD Academy, allowing the program to grow from around 30 MCLA students each year to this fall’s cohort of 200 participants. Thanks to Greylock’s generosity, LEAD is now available to all MCLA first-year students at no cost.
“Our LEAD program has a long history of being incredibly successful at boosting student retention rates,” said MCLA President James F. Birge, Ph.D. “With help from Greylock Federal Credit Union, we now are able to offer this meaningful experience to all of our incoming first-year students.”
“Greylock is excited to support this longstanding initiative, which we believe creates success for new college students in our region,” said Jennifer Connor-Shumsky, Greylock assistant vice president for community support and events. “The LEAD Academy equips the next generation of leaders with the tools they’ll need to thrive in their academic experiences and professional development. At Greylock, we believe in the power of financial wellness, and we’re thrilled to provide support for the financial literacy presentation during the first five days of LEAD.”
LEAD, which stands for Leadership, Education, Action, and Development, is a college success, leadership, and civic engagement program designed to help students develop leadership skills and the skills necessary for college preparation, which they can immediately apply. Beginning August 26, this year’s LEAD students will participate in a holistic onboarding experience before the start of fall classes. The first five days will provide a signature experience focusing on leadership development, team-building, community-building, and workshops conducted by student leaders.
The Greylock LEAD Program is organized by MCLA’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement, led by Director Spencer Moser. The office has hired 18 current MCLA students to serve as peer mentors for this year’s orientation program, with two students working over the summer to create the programming. “When they arrive, the new students will be broken up into success teams, which will include a staff member, a professor, and one or two peer mentors who will stay connected to them and guide them through their first year at the College,” said Moser.
Jaden Jackson ’26 is one of those peer mentors who is working to format this year’s LEAD programming. “We’ve been focusing on four main workshops based around topics students most need to know,” Jackson said, “which include how to adjust to college, navigating mental health, conflict resolution, and all of the resources available to MCLA students.”
At the start of his freshman year, Jackson was part of the LEAD program himself. “Going through LEAD was the most impactful experience of my freshman year,” he said. “I met my best friends and formed great bonds with other students and staff. Without LEAD, I would’ve been a little lost, but going through the program made me feel like I had a head start. I’m now part of multiple clubs and boards; I want to be involved in as many things as I can.”
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About MCLA
At MCLA, we’re here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught
by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive
on every level of their lives. In nearly every way possible, the experience at MCLA
is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully
empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 128-year commitment
to public education, we have fortified our commitment to equitable academic excellence.
For 10 of the last 12 years, MCLA has been named a Top Ten College by U.S. News and
World Report. MCLA also appears on the organization’s list of top National Public
Liberal Arts Colleges. Since the list was created, MCLA has risen to #33 as a Top
Performer on Social Mobility and ranks first among allMassachusetts liberal arts schools,
which measures how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants.
Learn more at www.mcla.edu.
