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“There will never, ever, be another you. There never has been, and there never will be.” The bold statement from Prudence Bushnell, former Ambassador to Kenya and Guatemala as well as the former Sol M. Linowitz Visiting Professor of International Relations at Hamilton College, set the tone for the diverse group of Hamilton students participating in the 4th annual Levitt Leadership Institute, Jan. 12-16.

Spring semester classes don’t begin until Jan. 20 but 39 Hamilton students are back on campus a week early to take part in two Levitt Center programs. Twenty-six students are participating in the fourth Levitt Leadership Institute and 13 are involved in the Social Innovation Fellow Program.

The Class of 2018’s Leadership Experience And Preparation (LEAP) program’s 12th and final meeting took place on Nov. 16. Sixteen Hamilton first-year students along with four LEAP mentors, gathered in a KJ classroom to escape the cold, Clinton November day, and discuss what goes into making an effective leader.

Hamilton’s third annual Levitt Leadership Institute completed the second and final week of its program on March 21. The second week takes place in Washington, D.C., and focuses on four different events organized by the student groups.  The goals of the second week are to actively practice the leadership skills learned in week one (problem solving, interviewing, decision-making, and networking) while organizing and executing each event.

Former U.S. Ambassador Prudence Bushnell dreamed of creating a leadership program for college-age students, but was not convinced it was possible. That is, until she came to the Hill as the visiting Linowitz professor and spent a semester with Hamilton students.

Twenty-five Hamilton students returned to campus 10 days before the spring semester begins to participate in the third Levitt Leadership Institute (LLI).  The program was designed and is led by Ambassador Prudence Bushnell with the assistance of Christine Powers and is intended to provide  leadership training for students. The LLI was made possible by the financial support of Arthur Levitt, Jr. P '81, and the Norman and Rosita Winston Foundation.

The Leadership Experience And Preparation (LEAP) program, developed through a partnership between Hamilton students, the Dean of Students Office and the Levitt Center, is a residentially based mentoring and leadership program that is being implemented for the first time this year. Its inaugural class of 59 first-year students will live together primarily in the Wertimer and Root residence halls, and work together in smaller groups under the leadership of upperclass student mentors.

Members of the Hamilton College community gathered on Sept. 16 to hear a talk by Ambassador Prudence Bushnell, a woman known internationally for her distinguished career as a U.S. diplomat and leadership expert. Bushnell’s lecture was titled “Transformational Leadership In Foreign Affairs, Where Is It?” and was sponsored by the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center.

While many students may have been relaxing at home or on the beach during spring break, 19 Hamilton College students participated in the second week of the two-week Levitt Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C.

In an effort to change our society for the better, former United States Ambassador Prudence Bushnell believes that we must train our leaders at an early age.  While students at West Point, Annapolis and other military academies receive top-notch leadership training, most civilian students are not given these opportunities. To fill this void, Bushnell partnered with Hamilton’s Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center to create the Levitt Leadership Institute (LLI).