Georgetown University
The McCourt School of Public Policy announced March 3 the expansion of their Leadership Fellows program, a yearlong program that aims to enhance students’ personal development and mentorship skills, to revamp student mentorship.
The McCourt School of Public Policy’s Leadership Fellows program, a yearlong program that aims to enhance students’ personal development and mentorship skills, expanded to include career development, community building activities and adaptive leadership training, McCourt announced March 3.
Following team building training, the fellows act as advisors to a new class of McCourt students in the Foundations Program, McCourt’s orientation for new students. McCourt’s administration revamped the program for the 2024-25 cohort, and the incoming cohort will benefit from increased pre-professional skills, extensive experience moderating difficult conversations and a deeper sense of solidarity with their peers.
Jennifer Tobin, co-director of the Leadership Fellows program and associate professor of public policy, said the program will provide fellows with better professional opportunities.
“We are excited to provide Fellows with enhanced opportunities to develop critical skills to lead with empathy, tackle difficult conversations and build stronger, more inclusive teams,” Tobin wrote in a March 3 press release.
Duana Blach De Macedo Miranda (GRD ’25), head leadership fellow in the 2024-25 cohort, said her experience facilitating the Foundations Program for McCourt first-years motivated her to become a leadership fellow.
“My Leadership Fellow did an amazing job, and I was truly grateful for their support,” Miranda wrote to The Hoya. “Because I had such a positive experience with Foundations, I wanted to make sure future students could feel just as welcomed and prepared for this intense but exciting journey. That’s what motivated me to become a Leadership Fellow.”
Jaclyn Clevenger, director of student engagement at McCourt, said the school implemented additional training and event design opportunities in the updated Leadership Fellows program.
“This past year the McCourt Leadership Fellows participated in additional workshops focused on difficult conversations and adaptive leadership and facilitated a school-wide global climate simulation, allowing them to continue to build their leadership and communication skills,” Clevenger wrote to The Hoya. “Fellows also designed and hosted a career development workshop for first-year McCourt graduate students, helping them craft personal narratives and refine elevator pitches as they prepare for job interviews.”
Miranda said the community aspects of the Leadership Fellows program allow returning students to foster a sense of belonging as well as improve their own mentorship skills.
“We each lead a small group of students (around 10), facilitating sessions, coordinating activities and serving as a point of contact for any practical or emotional support they may need,” Miranda wrote. “It’s a fantastic experience — not only do we get to form meaningful connections, but we also see students grow more comfortable and start to feel at home at McCourt.”
Miranda added that the continuity of the Leadership Fellows program is especially useful for enhancing returning students’ mentorship skills and making first-year students feel prepared for their professional lives.
“Beyond Foundations, our work continues throughout the year,” Miranda wrote. “This year, we also designed and led our own sessions on skills that align with Foundations’ values. We created a session called ‘Telling Your Story,’ where we helped students build a compelling personal narrative — something particularly valuable as they navigate internship applications in a complex policy environment.”
Clevenger said overseeing the expansion of the program was particularly meaningful to her.
“The Fellows’ commitment to their own personal and professional development is inspiring, and the entire McCourt School benefits from the work they do to make McCourt a welcoming and engaging community,” Clevenger wrote. “Working with Fellows is one of the best parts of my job here at the McCourt School.”
Miranda said future updates to the program will improve students’ experiences.
“With a strong focus on meaningful sessions and continuous feedback from students, the program is only going to get better,” Miranda said. “As we refine and expand the program, I believe it will continue to evolve into an even more transformative experience for future cohorts.”
Miranda added that the Leadership Fellows program helped her feel professionally and socially comfortable at McCourt.
“Being a Leadership Fellow has been a very rewarding part of my time at McCourt,” Miranda wrote. “It’s not just supporting other students — it’s also about growing as a leader, learning from peers and being an active part of a community that values (and intentionally builds) collaboration and personal development. I’m excited to see how the program continues to evolve in the future!”