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Building Outstanding Leadership Development (BOLD) Program

Our Building Outstanding Leadership Development (bold) Program is designed to cultivate our students’ exceptional leadership skills, empower individuals to reach their full potential, and equip students with the skills necessary to effectively lead both at Â鶹´«Ã½ and beyond.

Vision

To empower students to become exceptional leaders who inspire change, embody integrity, and make a lasting impact on their communities and beyond.

Mission

The bold Program at the Â鶹´«Ã½ is dedicated to cultivating leadership excellence by providing students with innovative leadership training, personalized mentorship, and opportunities for practical application. We strive to develop self-aware, resilient leaders who lead with purpose, collaborate effectively, and are equipped to navigate and thrive in dynamic environments. Through this transformative journey, we prepare students to lead both within Â鶹´«Ã½ and in the global community.

 

Why Join BOLD?

  1. Empowerment: gain access to exclusive leadership development opportunities designed to enhance your skills, expand your network, and amplify your impact.
  2. Support: receive financial support through an academic scholarship and personalized mentorship from Â鶹´«Ã½ student leaders, faculty, and staff who are invested in your success and personal growth.
  3. Opportunity: unlock access to student leadership positions, student employment, internships, and more.
  4. Community: become a part of a strong community of BOLD scholars who support and uplift each other on their leadership journey.

The BOLD Program curriculum is based on The Social Change Model of Leadership Development (HERI, 1996). This model views leadership as a collaborative, values-based process that can lead to positive social change. The model was created by the Higher Education Research Institute of UCLA in 1993 to help students learn and promote positive social change. At Â鶹´«Ã½, we use this model to teach students the following principles:

  • Leadership is a process, not a position.
  • Leadership is inclusive and accessible to everyone.
  • Leadership is socially responsible, and impacts change for others.
  • Leadership should be values-based.
  • Community involvement and service are powerful tools for leadership.

 

The model promotes a nonhierarchical and participatory approach to leadership, so students do not need to have a title or authority to participate in a group’s leadership processes.

It emphasizes the importance of making a difference rather than pursuing power, and it’s designed to help everyone develop leadership qualities, regardless of whether they have formal leadership roles.

Program Objectives

Through this scholarship program, students will:

  • Develop Self-Awareness: Enhance participants' understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, values, and leadership style to foster self-awareness and personal growth.
  • Build Leadership Competencies: Equip participants with essential leadership competencies such as communication, decision-making, conflict resolution, strategic thinking, and emotional intelligence.
  • Foster Team Collaboration: Cultivate skills for building and leading high-performing teams, including effective delegation, motivation, coaching, and fostering a culture of trust and collaboration.
  • Lead with Purpose: Inspire participants to lead with purpose, integrity, and ethics, aligning personal and organizational values to create meaningful impact.
  • Cultivate Resilience: Provide strategies for managing stress, overcoming adversity, and maintaining resilience in the face of challenges, enabling leaders to thrive in dynamic environments.
  • Sustain Leadership Growth: Offer ongoing support, coaching, and opportunities for reflection and feedback to sustain leadership growth beyond the program duration.

Scholarship

The BOLD Program scholarship annually awards up to 30 first-year Â鶹´«Ã½ students with a $5,000 scholarship per year ($2,500 per fall/spring semester) or up to cost of attendance.

This scholarship funding reflects Â鶹´«Ã½’s commitment to your leadership potential; from the moment you arrive on campus, this scholarship program provides an environment where you will learn, grow, and develop as a leader.

Scholarship Requirements

  • Must be new first-year admits, or freshmen transfer admits with total earned credits of less than 30 hours beginning in the fall 2025 semester.
  • Must be seeking a bachelor’s degree and cannot be dual enrolled during the fall 2025 semester.
  • Must have had a high school GPA of 2.5 or higher.
  • Can be enrolled on the Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville, and Oconee Campuses.
    • Blue Ridge Students should contact Michael Rogers at michael.rogers@ung.edu  for the Â鶹´«Ã½ Emerging Leaders Program, housed on the Blue Ridge Campus.
  • Although previous leadership experience is preferred, it is not required; students must express a desire to advance their leadership and service experience while at Â鶹´«Ã½.

Program Requirements

BOLD Scholars will be expected to uphold academic and attendance commitments to remain in good standing and receive their full scholarship. Students who fail to do so will be asked to leave the program and their scholarship may be revoked. Upon acceptance as a BOLD Scholar, all required trainings and meetings will be shared in a timely manner with the student.

Application

The BOLD Scholars Application is due by February 28, 2025.

 Announcements of the final cohort for 2025-2026 will be made no later than April 4, 2025.

For more information, contact Jessica.Brown@ung.edu.