Faculty/Staff: Nominate Students for the Ryan Leadership Institute
Dear DeSales faculty, staff, coaches, and administrators,
I share with you a chance to highlight some of your great students by providing them the opportunity to participate in the Ryan Leadership Institute here on campus.
I invite you to nominate students you teach, coach, advise, or simply know well to participate in RLI beginning in Fall 2024. Nominees must be of sophomore status or have two remaining years left on campus (for example, a student who will be a senior in Fall 2025 but is staying for a five-year degree). Students in five-year programs (ex. physician assistant, doctor of physical therapy, speech-language pathology) are also welcome to participate if they have two full years of study remaining.
Please nominate one or more students you believe would benefit from and contribute to the program.
How to nominate:
- Send me an email at brendan.graham@desales.edu with your nominee’s name, Class year, academic program, and any additional information you wish to share.
- Students who receive multiple nominations will be invited to apply to the program.
About the RLI:
- If you are unfamiliar with Ryan Leadership Institute, it is an intense two-year program of leadership development based upon Salesian spirituality and proven leadership skills. Established in 2005, RLI is made possible by the continued generosity of the Ryan siblings, Carolyn, Bill, Chris, and Laurie, in honor of their parents, Frank and Jane Ryan. Over 200 DeSales graduates have grown in their leadership skills and their practice of Salesian virtues through participation in this program. More importantly, they have taken these lessons into lives of service toward others.
- Current DeSales faculty/staff moderators of RLI include me, Fr. Doug Burns, OSFS, assistant professor, sport and exercise physiology laboratory coordinator, Carolyn Tiger, director of student accessibility, and Maureen Keyte, executive administrative assistant for student life and Clery Act coordinator. Carolyn’s husband Blair, who is not a DSU staff member, also advises. We are in the process of adding more advisors.
- In the first year, known as BE-IT, participants’ commitment includes a weekend-long retreat at the beginning of the school year, one evening meeting approximately every two-three weeks during each semester, and a weekend-long retreat at the end of the academic year. During the second year of the program, DO-IT, the group meets three times a semester to hear from Ryan Leadership alumni and how the program continues to impact their lives. Also, each student will design and complete a leadership project either on campus or in the larger community.
My testimony:
- I graduated in the Class of 2019 from DeSales and have been working here since then. I began in the admissions office and in July 2022, I transitioned to my current role in alumni relations. In August of 2021, Father Burns asked me to be a part of the Ryan Leadership Institute, and I was honored. Through the program, I have grown professionally, spiritually, and personally and have seen how it impacts our students’ lives. The program allowed me to see just how unique, mature, and special our students are. I have also spoken with many alumni of the program, all of whom positively reflect on their experience and speak enthusiastically about how it has changed their lives.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the program and/or hear from students who have participated, please let me know.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Brendan Graham ’19, M’23, assistant director of alumni relations
Questions? brendan.graham@desales.edu