KU News Release

KU announces 56 graduates of its 2007 LeaderShape Institute

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LAWRENCE — Fifty-six University of Kansas students have graduated from the 2007 LeaderShape Institute, sponsored and coordinated annually by KU’s Student Involvement and Leadership Center.

The six-day intensive program to develop leadership abilities took place Jan. 10-15 during KU’s winter break at the Tall Oaks Conference Center near Linwood.

“This was the 10th anniversary of LeaderShape, which means we have just over 600 Jayhawks who have graduated through KU LeaderShape and 50 colleagues who have volunteered to be cluster facilitators,” said Rueben Perez, director of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center and one of the lead facilitators for the institute. “This is a huge investment that is inspired and promoted by the idea of encouraging individuals to lead and live their lives with integrity.”

KU has sponsored the LeaderShape Institute since 1998.

During training, KU students work in groups to create ideas for projects, then refine goals, plans and implementation strategies to accomplish those ideas within their own organization, living group, community or workplace. They learn about leadership styles and work through simulations of situations they could face.

Tanya Williams, graduate assistant at the Center for Diversity and Development at University of Massachusetts-Amherst, was the lead facilitator for this year’s institute. Cluster facilitators from KU were Laura Burrows, assistant director of the Department of Student Housing; Frank DeSalvo, assistant vice provost for Student Success; Susan Hoffman, assistant director for Union Programs; Angela King, assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority Life; and Jayme Uden, assistant director of student housing.

Two 2006 LeaderShape graduates were student site coordinators: Rula Andriessen, a senior from Sioux City, Iowa, and Matt Gurbacki, a senior from Duluth, Ga. Andriessen is majoring in journalism (strategic communications emphasis) and is the daughter of Roel and Deborah Andriessen and a graduate of Heelan High School. Gurbacki, a pre-business and pre-medicine major, is the son of Jan and Gerry Gurbacki and a graduate of Greater Atlanta Christian School, Norcross, Ga.

Students are listed below by home county, state or country, parents’ names (when available), major, level in school and high school (when available).

Sponsors for KU’s 2007 LeaderShape were KU Memorial Unions, Student Union Activities, the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Success, Department of Student Housing, the Raymond F. Nichols League of Former Student Leaders and Coca-Cola.

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