Saint Michael's College students, Katherine Hackett, a junior from Huntington, N.Y., and Catherine Welch, a graduating senior from South Burlington, Vt., have been selected to attend the NEW (National Education for Women) Leadership New England Institute to be held at Saint Anselm College, June 13 to 18.
Chosen for their demonstrated leadership abilities and superb leadership potential, these two students will take part in the week-long residential program designed to “educate, encourage, and empower” young women to pursue leadership roles in their community and government.
NEW Leadership New England is a partner of New Leadership Development Network at the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University. The residential program, a leadership training program, is designed to give young women the skills to be part of the next generation of women leaders. Workshops focus on such skills as public speaking and networking. Presentations are also given by politically active women from throughout New England, and faculty-in-residence women leaders serve as mentors for students throughout their stay.
Ms. Hackett and Ms. Welch are funded for this program though the SMC Center for Women and Gender and the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Katherine Hackett is a junior sociology/anthropology major with dual minors in business management and Spanish. She is spending the spring 2010 semester studying abroad in Ecuador at the University of San Francisco, Quito, where she is also working with children with disabilities. In the fall, Ms. Hackett will be secretary of academics for the Saint Michael’s College Student Association, and serving on the executive board of the LEAP (religious retreat) community. She is an SMC campus tour guide, a member of the core (leadership) team for the SMC volunteer service organization MOVE (Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts). Her MOVE work is focused on Best Buddies, a program designed “to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships.” Ms. Hackett also serves as a coordinator of POW, Pre-orientation Weekends, for in-coming students. Upon returning from Ecuador, she will be working towards her AmeriCorps scholarship of 900 hours of service in two years.
Catherine Welch is a graduating senior with a major in political science and a concentration in secondary education. Ms. Welch served as an RA (resident assistant) for three years, overseeing and enhancing residential life for her fellow students. She did volunteer work through the college’s MOVE (Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts) program, and was a member of the SMC LEAP (religious retreat) community. Ms. Welch is a member of the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer committee in Vermont, as well as a part-time dispatcher at the South Burlington Police Department. She was a student teacher during the spring semester at Vermont Commons School, an independent day school, grades 7-12, where she was actively involved with teaching in the social studies department.
