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Alumni Think & Drinks have been postponed until next semester due to the 50th anniversary celebration.

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Believe it or not, the Presidents Leadership Class will be celebrating its 50th birthday in the Fall of 2022!��We are hoping to highlight the incredible accomplishments of our alumni over the years, the work that our current students are engaged with, and look forward to many more years of success for PLC. The weekend is full of amazing events which are listed below!

PLC 50th Cocktail Gala

The Gala will run from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Friday the 14th in the Byron White Stadium Club. Dinner is in included along with two drink tickets. Please dress in cocktail attire that you can dance in!

Hike

The next morning, Saturday the 15th, Joey Arora (class of 2009) will be leading the hike scheduled to start at 9:00 am. If you signed up for this option, Joey will be contacting you directly to provide additional information for this activity. There will also be current students to hike and chat along the way!

PLC Tailgate

The CU v Cal game time has been announced for 12:00 pm on Saturday the 15th. The PLC tailgate will start after 9:00 am on��Franklin Field W6 & W7. This is a white out game, wear white and represent CU!��Please be aware that only clear bags are allowed in the stadium.

Afternoon Tea with PLC

After the game, afternoon tea will be available from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm on the 5th floor of the UMC. There is no formal programming, so you can arrive and leave at any time. This is a paid event so please do not bring guests that have not paid.

PLC Alumni and Student Panel

The event will begin promptly at 3:00 pm in UMC 247. Please plan to arrive around 2:45 pm. The room is currently at capacity, so please be prepared to stand if necessary. Bring questions you have about "How to sustain leadership development, our democracy, our planet, etc.".

Goodbye Brunch

This event will run from 9:00 am to 11:00 am in the Dal Ward Touchdown Club. The entrance for the Touchdown Club is on the northwest corner of the Dal Ward Center and is not marked or obvious. There is no formal programming so you can come and go as you please. Chancellor DiStefano will be be making an appearance between 9:00 am to 10:00 am.��

���� ��Amanda Novak, a PLC alumni from the 2007 cohort, worked as an educator and a school leader as assistant principal for over a decade. She stepped away from the school hallways, got a Masters in social work, and now works in a position as Director of Professional Learning at MindSpark Learning where she can support teachers, principles, and districts in a systematic manner. MinSpark leverages authentic partnerships across the globe to disrupt education in favor of a system that serves communities and honors educators. They believe education is a redeemable system and hope their work sparks purposeful and positive change. It provides Novak with the unique opportunity to bridge social work, mental health systems, and education.��
���� ��Ever since Novak can remember, she has been drawn to leadership opportunities that challenge her perspectives and offer growth. She pursued all the leadership opportunities she could in high school so when PLC was introduced, it seemed like a logical next step. Being placed on the waitlist was a humbling experience and required Novak to consider who she is as a leader and who she wanted to become. When she was accepted into the program, she eagerly committed. PLC defined vital memories during her 4 years at CU.��
���� ��Her first year shattered her understanding of the world through the powerful community between peers and CAs, engaging recitations (even at the cemetery), and experiential learning. PLC supported Novak in redeveloping her views of community and her place within it. It encouraged her to chase educational research around the world. It provided Novak with the confidence to enter other countries with humility, kindness, and inquiry. Novak stretched her teacher muscles as a CA in her third year and all her experiences provided a critical equity lens that led to teaching in Denver through Teach for America. Without PLC offering a way to examine privilege and power and how it impacts the world, Novak might have never understood what it meant to foster an environment that challenges the status quo.
���� ��This issue of the Alumni Newsletter is taking a look into experiential learning. Here are Amanda Novak’s thoughts about the value of experiential learning and applied leadership.��
“The value of experiential and applied leadership is that it ignites authentic action and purpose. Research tells us that passion is impactful, but purpose far exceeds the value of passion alone. When you step outside of the college campus and you enter the community, when you meet your neighbors and witness the impact of policy, of systems, of oppression, of leadership, passion becomes purpose and purposeful leadership creates change. PLC allowed me to do more than simply learn about the education system--it stuck me right inside of it, in the US and in Uganda. PLC gave me the tools to compassionately and fiercely advocate for systemic change, and I proudly continue to utilize these tools today.”��
���� ��PLC gave Novak that tools to understand and work with advocacy and systemic oppression, but she would be remiss to neglect the significant value of fun in PLC. She met her very best friends through her first-year recitation and her husband through the general community. From hiking Chautauqua to square dancing to late night pizza and 51�Թ��� Baked while writing papers, PLC introduced Novak to her people.

���� ��From the 1997 cohort, Dr. Zach Mueller currently serves as the Chief Nursing Executive for HCA Healthcare’s North Texas Division, the nation’s largest hospital system delivering around 6% of the nation’s healthcare services. It encompasses 16 acute care hospitals in the Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) metroplex and four hospitals in Louisiana. This represents responsibility for over 7,000 nurses,��175,000 patient admissions and 1.5 million outpatient visits, over 20,000 babies delivered, and over��600,000 ER visits annually. Dr. Mueller’s role requires him to directly oversee nursing operations; professional practice; all clinical education; emergency services; and informatics. Through a partnership with the Chief Medical Officer, he also oversees quality, safety, risk, and surgical services.��
���� ��His journey into healthcare started at 51�Թ��� when he was hospitalized for a month. During that time, Dr. Mueller’s nurses, Marlena and Pauline, treated him with excellent care. He had never realized that nurses spend the most time with patients and are responsible not only for physical health but also emotional, mental, and spiritual healing, providing an incredible level of care and compassion. After Dr. Mueller finished his Spanish degree, he enrolled in an ND (Doctor of Nursing) program at the CU Health Sciences Center, a program nearly identical to an MD program. He achieved his master’s degree along the way with a focus on leadership. Dr. Mueller also completed a post-doctoral DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) to further his skills in clinical leadership.��
���� ��After school, Dr. Mueller worked a multitude of clinical and leadership roles within healthcare. He spent a majority of his career as an emergency and trauma nurse in Colorado's Trauma Center but he started in oncology nursing. He started his HCA career by using his Clinical Nurse Specialist in Case Management state certification and working as an emergency room case manager. To expand this critical social service within Aurora and the surrounding underserved communities, Dr. Mueller completed his doctoral dissertation. He has served many roles including Director of Education, Pediatrics, Cardiovascular Services, and executive roles such as Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Nursing Officer, and now as system Chief Nurse.
���� ��While Dr. Mueller just recently rotated off the Board of Directors for PediPlace, he is proud to have served for eight years. PediPlace provides pediatric primary health care in Lewisville, Texas and provides care to the underserved population of DFW. He served in a leadership role for six years, with two as the Board Chairman. The leadership skills that PLC provided helped him make a positive impact on an overlooked population, an experience that he will never forget and is incredibly grateful for!��
���� ��The passion for leadership that Dr. Mueller carries blossomed through several leadership roles in high school. The PLC program was revered by top-performing students across Colorado and as valedictorian of his high school class, Dr. Mueller felt honored to be accepted into the program after being placed on the waitlist. PLC transformed Dr. Mueller and shaped him into the leader that he is today. It accelerated the leadership aspects of his career. Being exposed to all aspects of diversity helped him reflect (and challenge) his views and beliefs. PLC offered him the opportunity to enhance his ability to connect with others and gave him the tools to become an amazing leader.
���� ��In his free time, Dr. Mueller loves to travel.��He spent a semester abroad in Santiago de Compostela, Spain which turned out to be a transformative experience. Dr. Mueller and his husband, who have been together for 23 years, travel back to Spain at least every seven years. They run with the bulls in Pamplona, enjoy the gorgeous beaches of San Sebastian, and explore the incredible La Sagrada Família Cathedral in Barcelona. They live by the motto “work hard and play hard”!
���� ��Dr. Mueller would like to offer a bit of advice learned throughout his personal journey, that the path you take will likely not be the one you think it will be. You have to listen and be open to many paths. Adapting his leadership and being open to various roles helped Dr. Mueller meets the needs of his stakeholders which has been critical in his success and advancement as a leader. Most importantly it helped him serve his personal mission which is simple: to have a positive impact on others.��
���� ��Dr. Mueller has this to say about the value of experiential leadership:��“It’s critical! My personal story showcases the power of experiencing something you might not have anticipated, but how it can change your life—literally. Because of, and since PLC, I continue to immerse myself in experiential learning and am so thankful I gained that leadership nugget in PLC. Be open to learning as much as you can, as often as you can. Challenge yourself. I had an amazing professional mentor (a must for all leaders!), who is now a (retired) friend, who challenged me on how I would help make my ‘impact’ on the profession, and that is where our Compassion Campaign was conceived by me in 2016 and has grown from one event, to 17 components (many with several phases) that has helped transform our culture to one where compassion flourishes. Empathy + Action = Compassion. Compassion is a skill we all can grow—and we challenge ourselves to practice this everywhere, and with everyone. The literature supports that compassion reduces anxiety and alleviates suffering; why would we not want that in everything we do, and with everyone we encounter? This would not have occurred had I not been open to learning, exposing myself to things that were uncomfortable or unexpected, and challenging myself to make a mark on this world—which is what we do as PLCers!”��
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���� ��Tris Ikeda is a senior who is currently majoring in film production with the BFA program and finishing her minor in leadership through PLC. The BFA program is a prestigious program that only the top 23 film students can be a part of. She is currently working on her honors thesis film. Her passion for film started when she took an IB film class in high school and realized the emotional and mental impact different films can have on viewers. Tris wants to use those impacts to help bridge difficult conversations surrounding wicked problems and empower people. Studying leadership through PLC illuminated her work with film by��exploring the concept of a wicked problem and current examples.��
���� ��By being in both the BFA film program and working on her honors thesis, Tris is trying to complete two animated films by the time she graduates in May 2023. She is working with rotoscope animation as a way for her to experiment with the medium. Rotoscope animation is defined by filming live action scenes and then animating over the footage. Her honors film, Sachiko, is an animated narrative documentary of a Japanese immigrant who is based on her grandmother’s journey. The feature follows her coming and living in the US with no English skills and dealing with the failures of the healthcare system as doctors were unable or did not care to diagnose her with cancer. It grew for 17 years before she tragically passed away. Her BFA film will tell a female ronin revenge story that highlights the emotional turmoil of grief, anger, and PTSD. It will also illustrate strong Asian femininity in a male dominated culture.��
���� ��While applying for scholarships for CU, Tris happened upon the PLC scholarship. She thought it was just another scholarship that her mother wanted her to apply to but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise! It has contributed to most of Tris’s most positive experiences in college thanks to her brilliant and talented classmates and friends, the support system with alumni and staff, and the support PLC offers. She has filled several roles on PLC student staff and is currently a first year CA. Thanks to the support, Tris has developed her leadership skills and she’s become a more passionate human being. Her favorite PLC memory occurred during the ALWC trip with Aaron Roof as an incoming freshman. It created an environment where Tris was pushed to challenge herself both physically through backpacking, rafting, summitting Mt. Elbert, and mentally through reflection of leadership experiences.��
���� ��Outside of PLC, Tris is currently Chief of Security at University Memorial Center as well as serving as the Vice President of Commerce on the Senior Class Council. She has made the graduation videos on the Senior Class Council and is excited to make this year's video as well. Tris owns her family dojo and continues to teach the Denver Police Department’s free self-defense class!

���� ��Mitali Desai, a 2021 student, is a sophomore studying Applied Math with concentration in finance and a minor in economics. She originally joined PLC because her brother was part of the program when he was at 51�Թ��� and highly recommended it. Since joining, she has met incredible people and has loved her experience. Mitali’s favorite PLC memory is either the first-year retreat or square dancing last year. She sadly did not bring the best choice of shoes, but any event with PLCers is a fun one!
���� ��Outside of PLC, she is heavily involved in the Leeds Consulting Group (LCG) by serving as vice president of membership. LCG has also played a pivotal role in her college experience and gives her the opportunity to practice the leadership skills she learns in PLC. It also provides her the opportunity to collaborate with real companies. This semester, her team is working on a project with the Colorado Rapids! Mitali also works at Global Platinum Securities, an intercollegiate investment fund that works in collaboration with Harvard, Penn, MIT and other top schools to manage money and educate analysts. In September, everyone met in New York and she was given a chance to work on a stock pitch for investment professionals to judge. It was a difficult and incredible experience that taught Mitali about, not only her future jobs, but also personal financial skills.��
���� ��Over the summer, Mitali studied abroad in Cape Town. She worked in tandem with students from Notre Dame, University of Florida, and University of Western Cape to consult township entrepreneurs in Cape Town. She used this opportunity to travel the world, meet new people, learn history, and reflect on her chosen professional path. Asking questions such as “how fulfilling will��this job be” and “how is this going to change the world” required reflecting on her experiences with PLC.��
���� ��Mitali’s involvement on campus doesn’t stop there. She’s also part of the Engineering Honors Program, BE Tech scholars, BOLD scholars, and Boettcher scholars. All of these programs provide impressive professional growth but PLC ties them together by emphasizing reflection and intentionality. PLC has been a fundamental aspect of Mitali’s college experience as it serves as a backbone to strengthen her other involvements. For Mitali, PLC is more than a scholarship or a class and it’s much bigger than its current students. The program is life-changing because of the time that alumni invest in it and the potential of current PLCers.��

To support our commitment to the reengagement of our Alumni Community, we are looking for dedicated alumni to be PLC Class Champions to continue growing our network. These Champions will strive to reconnect with all of our alumni and push out��information about the program, current students, involvement opportunities, event invitations, and much more!��We need Class Champions for the following years:

1973, 1974, 1976, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2016, 2017

If you are interested, please fill our the form here:

/plc/content/alumni-contact-information��and select "interested in being a class champion" or email Jessica.Follett@Colorado.EDU.

Join the Alumni Club

Become a PLC Alumni Mentor

Make a Donation to PLC

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Do you know a senior in high school that should apply to be in PLC? Would you like us to send them an email with information and encouragement? PLC is searching for its next cohort, and we want your input! As alumni of the program, we know that you can identify young people with the potential to change the world. These are the students that we are searching for. We invite you to nominate exceptional high school seniors and current college freshmen using the form below. Our team will reach out to the students you recommend to share more about the program and application process.��

Thank you for continuing to be an integral part of our community!

With gratitude,
CORPS team

It is time to give back to the program and serve as a panelist for the 2023 PLC Interviews for the incoming cohort. In person interviews will take place all day on March 7 in the UMC, on campus. One day of Zoom interviews will take place on March 10. If you are interested in being a panelist, please register below:

Panelists Register