Kravis Leadership Institute's 1st Annual First Year Frontier

The Kravis Leadership Institute (KLI) is dedicated to developing leadership skills in all CMC students and organizes various events, programs, and workshops each semester to do so. After the introduction of the incredibly successful Sophomore Leadership Experience in 2007, KLI now brings you an event designed exclusively for CMC freshmen: The First Year Frontier (FYF): Charting Your CMC and Leadership Journey.
Demetrius Lalanne, the Class of '15 President, has helped KLI design and develop this program to cater to the aspirations and interests of this year's freshman class. He says, "First Year Frontier is a great way to bond with 99 other freshman and other respected upperclassmen, build rapport with KLI, and get away from campus for a little bit. Last semester I struggled with time-management and am hoping to learn some new tricks from KLI."
The FYF, which will take place on March 2nd and 3rd, is an off campus retreat for the freshman class, which aims to develop advanced communication skills, stress endurance, and time management skills. Students will also reflect on their leadership journey, explore their passions and bond with classmates through a variety of interactive sessions. The FYF starts on Friday, March 2, at 1:00PM in McKenna Auditorium. After this opening session, students will be transported to the Frank G. Bonelli Park in San Dimas to spend the night under the stars. Over the course of the trip, participants will participate in insightful workshops, complete various leadership activities, and hear the story of a group of Claremont College graduates who are passionate about improving the city of Pomona through Pomona Hope. Trained upperclassmen will support the staff and participants as student facilitators in order to foster an inclusive, fruitful, and rewarding environment. "I have been working with KLI to put this program together and I think it's going to be awesome. I have always loved team building activities and I think it's a great way to get to know people. I wish this program existed last year when I was a freshman! I would have liked more exposure to leadership activities and opportunities to get to know myself, what I am good at, and what I enjoy doing in order to have a better or more realistic look at the future." -Annika Jessen '14 "The FYF is designed to include the same structure of the incredibly popular Sophomore Leadership Experience (SLE), while catering specifically to the needs of first year students. For me, The Sophomore Leadership Experience was incredibly motivational and helped me to develop a solid foundation in leadership. Over those four days, I learned so much about myself and became so much closer with my peers. Similar to SLE, this experience will be instrumental in developing a sense of self and determining which direction you want to go in your academic and professional careers." -Laura Renfroe 14 "Leadership is something that all CMC students can appreciate, and it has surprised me how easy and fun it can be to develop such valuable skills. The Sophomore Leadership Experience, which is a similar program to the FYF, was one of my favorite moments at CMC so far, and I think that FYF can only be amazing. I would strongly encourage all our freshmen to take advantage of this opportunity to learn. It will be valuable, fun, and completely funded by the Kravis Leadership Institute!"
-Pieter Cornel 14,
The program's director, Jessica Briggs '03 expects that the FYF will be an annual tradition for freshmen, similar to the Sophomore Leadership Experience. She anticipates that it will be a perfect addition to KLI's series of events for the students who wish to rise to their full leadership potential while at CMC. The first 100 students to apply will be able to participate in this event, and spots are expected to fill up quickly.
The First Year Frontier, sponsored by the Kravis Leadership Institute, has been organized it with assistance from the Dean of Students office and Jennifer Marana, Associate Dean of Students and Dean of the First-Year Students. Students Laura Renfroe 14, Annika Jessen 14, Tawney Hughes '14, Pieter Cornel '14 and Demetrius LaLanne '15, Freshman Class President, have also contributed to the creation of this unique program.
Freshmen can apply to participate by February 17 through the KLI website or www.surveymonkey.com.
For more information, contact Jessica Briggs or Laura Renfroe 14.