Leadership & Service
Establishing Lives of Leadership and Service
Davidson's primary purpose is to help students lead lives of leadership and service. As such, we are committed to embedding leadership and service opportunities for students as a key part of the Davidson experience.
There are many ways that students become involved with service to the campus and the community, and there are many student organizations and initiatives that students take part in to refine their leadership skills.
Davidson Serves The Center for Civic Engagement
The Center for Civic Engagement is home to many service and leadership opportunities on campus. The Center oversees a variety of programming including the service odyssey pre-orientation program, summer internships with non-profits and community education partners, a community involvement fair, the Bonner Scholars program, and 25 student-led service organizations.
Student Spotlight Jonathan Sheperd-Smith ’18 Leads in Service
Sheperd-Smith, an economics and anthropology double major, doesn't believe in service for the sake of service. The Bonner Scholar, Brown Scholar, Terry Fellow and football captain from Atlanta, Georgia, uses his service requirements at Davidson to engage more deeply with the community.
As part of his work with the Bonner Scholars Program, Sheperd-Smith created the DuBoisian World Scholars Society. The group, with a name inspired by W.E.B. DuBois, focuses on closing the information gap for low income minority kids in the hope of inspiring them to become stakeholders in their educational experiences.
Chidsey Leadership Fellows
The Chidsey Leadership Fellows Program brings together 48 students across class years to expand their capacity for leadership, learn from one another, and to apply their learning at Davidson and beyond. Students are engaged in an experienced-based curriculum that builds self-awareness, increases student abilities to address complex problems, builds meaningful relationships, and encourages action.
Student Spotlight More Than a Figure in the Tale of Three Cities
With $10,000 in grant money and a successful pilot program already underway, Tony Solís '19 aims to empower underprivileged Chicago youth to break free of the stereotypes that too often define them.
"It's not just about keeping kids off the streets," Solís said. "It's about actively helping and supporting them to be better people so that they can enjoy a better tomorrow–one that they contribute to create."
Katherine M. Bray Women’s Leadership Conference
The Katherine M. Bray Women’s Leadership Conference, named after Davidson alumna and former Associate Dean of Students, is an annual event organized by students and college sponsors. The conference aims to create spaces for Davidson students and the surrounding community to hear from valuable speakers, many of whom are renown alumnae, and discuss contemporary women's issues.
