Prospective Students

Leadership Program Application

The McCombs Leadership Program Application for 2021 will open on November 1st and close on December 1st.

To learn more about Leadership Program and meet current involved students, check us out on Instagram (@mccombsleadership).

Who Can Apply

• Students entering their first or second year at the McCombs School of Business
• Students able to commit to a two year leadership development experience
• Students not enrolled in the Canfield Business Honors Program

Application Process

1. Before you begin, read through the LP website and the below directions. Make sure you've read The Social Change Model of Leadership Development. 
2. If you do not meet our applicant criteria, you will not be allowed to enter the application submission site.
3. You will respond to two essay questions and submit your responses through the online application.
4. We advise that you save your work frequently, or write your essay in a word processing program and then copy and paste your work into the online application.
5. You may submit your essay questions by the deadline, December 1, 2021 at 11:59 PM CST.
6. As expected of McCombs students, please utilize the highest standards of ethics and integrity in submitting your application.
7. All newly admitted students must be able to attend the following Spring 2021 overnight retreat for incoming LP'ers:

Saturday, January 6th – Sunday January 7th in New Braunfels, Texas. 

(Transportation, food and lodging will be provided by the program).

Mission, goals and vision of the Leadership Program

Mission Statement

The Leadership Program’s (LP) mission is to foster student growth and leadership through community building and outreach, ultimately graduating leaders who will apply the lessons of social change on an individual, local, and global level. We believe that all people have the potential to impact their communities, regardless of their title or role. LP is centered on reflection and the understanding that strong leaders are aware of themselves and the communities around them, using this awareness to mobilize change.

Goals

1. To expose students to a multitude of opportunities and perspectives for leadership development and community involvement.
2.  To foster participants’ self-knowledge, providing the tools for them to explore their talents, values, and interests.
3.  To enhance the leadership competence of participants, building their capacity to mobilize themselves and others to serve and work collaboratively.

Vision

Empower students to facilitate positive social change within their communities: at McCombs, at UT, within Austin, and within society as a whole.

Student Board

Below is the 2021-2022 LP Student Board, working together to enhance the programming and community within LP.

Riya Patel, Reflection Development Chair

Hi everyone! My name is Riya Patel and I’m a senior MIS major. I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Within LP, I serve as the reflection development chair, so I’m actively evolving the way reflections are done and creating new leadership development activities in hopes of offering more value to our members. The reason why I’ve continuously returned to LP each year to take on another role, is because this program gave me the confidence I needed to succeed and the tools needed to be a proactive, intentional and socially responsible leader. I’m so grateful for all the lessons, opportunities and relationships LP has given me and hope to share that opportunity with our future cohorts! Outside of LP, I serve as a student consultant in Texas Consulting and have an active role in Texas Shanti as the mentorship director, where we strive to reduce the stigma of mental health and educate our communities. During my free time, I enjoy cooking, reading self-help books and exploring new hiking trails.

Stephanie Benavides, Community Leader Liaison

Hi LPers! My name is Stephanie Benavides and I am a senior marketing major and entrepreneurship minor, graduating May 2021. I was born and raised amongst my eight siblings in Laredo, TX! This school year I hold the honor of being the Community Leader Liaison, as a part of the 2020-2021 LP Board.  I joined LP as a sophomore, and I thank this organization for helping me learn the importance of my own strengths and of practicing vulnerability as a leader. I have made it a mission to put my mental health first, above all else, and have gained qualities of self-awareness and community building. I am so excited to virtually meet/interact with more of you, and to see you all take your passion’s beyond this program and into the real world as you become tomorrow's socially responsible business leaders. Hook ‘em! 

Louis Bariselle, Community Development Chair  

Hi LP! My name is Louis Bariselle and I am a Junior iMPA student. I was born in Houston but spent most of my time growing up in Saudi Arabia and Switzerland. Within LP, I was a Community Leader for my sophomore year and now serve as the Community Development Chair. As a board member, I lead LP events such as the Collaborate sessions, socials, and Explore UT! LP means so much more than just a program because this is where I found many of my best friends. In addition, LP has provided me with the opportunity to learn more about myself as a leader and team member through many engaging activities and events. I have learned the importance of vulnerability and reflection which has been extremely helpful throughout my time in college. On campus, I am also President of the University Finance Association. Apart from these involvements, I have loved exploring the nature Austin has to offer through hiking and swimming in my free time.

Ava Perez, Social Media and Marketing Chair

Hey y'all! My name is Ava Perez and I am a third year marketing major graduating August 2021. I was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, more specifically Weslaco, Texas! But I am loving every minute that I spend in Austin. Some of the things that I enjoy are trying new restaurants and working out. I also love going thrifting, so if you ever need a buddy to go with reach out to me! I am an avid fashion blogger on Instagram (@avasoutfittheday) and doing my makeup is one of my favorite past times. LP has allowed me to better myself as a leader and understand other people’s strengths and how we can work best as a team. Within LP I have been able to embrace my identity and recognize everyone’s identities, showing how different everyone can be while still being a leader. I am immensely proud to have joined this program and to be part of something that truly wants to create socially responsible business leaders. Although this program will not be the same due to Covid-19, I hope that as social media and marketing chair we can still create a community to help each other out through our time here on campus and beyond. 

The Impact of LP: Student Testimonials

Students give feedback on LP and the ways it has developed and enhanced their leadership skills, world view and community service involvement while at McCombs.

"It is hard for me to fully describe my LP experience and all that the program taught me. Joining as a freshman, I was unsure of myself and my place on campus. Although I was a leader in high school, I felt that in this big place I was nobody. I didn't know how to be a leader and never imagined myself as one here. LP though, did the exact opposite. Through the various retreats, programs, classes, book reviews and self reflections required by the program I have come to understand a more complete definition of leadership; one that has since encompassed my life and all that I do. I accredit my college leadership skills to the LP program. I gained knowledge, networking skills, self-confidence, and courage. I learned how to lead and when to follow. From LeaderShape to the incredible trip to Belize, the Leadership Program taught me all that it promised when I first entered. These 4 years have provided real life examples of the social change model in the form of: commitment, citizenship, common purpose, congruence, consciousness of self, collaboration, and controversy. All in all, the Leadership Program has taught me to embrace change and go after it; this longhorn has started here, at UT and in the McCombs Leadership Program, and will go out to change the world."  – Katie Koehler

"LP helped me understand my leadership style- my strengths and weaknesses. The program also reinforced my commitment to the community and through these experiences I grew personally and professionally. I met like-minded individuals within my cohort that I now call friends- more than organization, the LP program is like a family. There are expectations and guidelines one must follow of course but in the end, it's worth it. Now that I have completed the program I know I will miss it." – Raul Zavaleta

 “The McCombs Leadership Program has left me a more acute, disciplined, and transformational leader. The LP is an experience that has taught me to recognize our interdependence. We are all called to work for a higher purpose, a common purpose, an individual responsibility that requires unyielding effort and humble commitment. LP has trained me to see the gaps – the spaces between eager workforces and passionate desires that need connection in order to serve the greater good of society.” – Jefferson Fisher

“The Leadership Program for me this previous year was a great experience overall. I really enjoyed the setup of the program in terms of the flexibility in meeting the requirements on one’s own time, and being able to focus on different types of LDAs that we felt strongly about or were relevant to us. I think the LP Events were well organized and efficient in their goal of making us better leaders in specific areas and enabling us to grow.” – Sam Copeland

“I have received many benefits from participating in the Leadership Program at McCombs. Not only have I met some of the most talented, intelligent and friendly people at UT, but I have learned so much about myself and my leadership style. Through the program, I have learned to understand my talents, values, and interests, allowing me to be a more effective leader. Each year of the program provided me with new insights on leadership and gave me the confidence to explore my ability to be a more productive and competent leader. The opportunities made available to me through LP were endless and were some of the most rewarding experiences of my college career.” – Chaille Muzny

“LP has shown me that a leader, above all else, is a servant – and our world is in need of great servants. A leader serves the needs, shares the struggles, and feels the pains of his or her followers. A leader knows no self interest.” – Jefferson Fisher

If you would like to submit a student testimonial, please email us at leadership@mccombs.utexas.edu

Contact Us

Leadership Program Contact Information

Office Hours: 

Monday- Friday 9 a.m.- Noon, 1 p.m.- 5p.m.

Phone: 512-232-6450
Location:  McCombs School of Business- Office of Student Life - CBA 2.302
Email: Leadership Program

Mailing Address:

McCombs School of Business Leadership Program
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station, B6100Austin, TX 78712 

Point of Contact:

Zerina Hamulic, Program Coordinator