May 17, 2016
SVSU chooses next class for leadership development program
SVSU chooses next class for leadership development program
A Saginaw Valley State University selection committee chose 10 students to participate in the 18th class of the highly competitive Roberts Fellowship Program.
The year-long leadership development initiative empowers students to grow through both academic course work and extracurricular activities designed to enhance their potential as future political, economic and civic leaders. The program culminates in a trip to Asia to provide the Fellows with an international perspective on leadership.
This year's class was selected in part for demonstrating academic excellence and leadership potential.
The students selected as Roberts Fellows for the 2016-17 academic year include:
• Nikolas Berkobien, a psychology major from Saginaw
• Reanna Cantrall, a biology major from Frankenmuth
• Brandon Errer, a political science major from Saginaw
• Kevin Finley, an accounting major from Flint
• Stephen Holihan, a biology major from Saginaw
• Imran Khan, a computer science major from the Asian nation of Bangladesh
• Sandra Lamarche, an international business major from Frankenmuth
• Christina Micale, a psychology major from Macomb
• Samuel Oswald, a psychology major from Midland
• Natalie Schneider, a business management major from Saginaw
To qualify, students must have completed between 48 and 100 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 3.40 and pass a rigorous selection process. Students are chosen based upon their academic accomplishment, a record of university and community service, and other evidence of leadership potential.
Students selected to be Roberts Fellows will be required to complete a 3-credit "Leadership Seminar" in the fall and winter semesters, within one or more academic departments. During the year, the Fellows will also meet for informal seminars and discussions with various political, business and civic leaders from throughout the Great Lakes Bay region. Andrew Swihart, professor of psychology, and Brian Thomas, associate professor of sociology, serve as the group's faculty advisers.
Established in 1999, the program is named in honor of Donna Roberts of Midland, who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to SVSU through her personal generosity and prior service on the Board of Control and the Board of Fellows. A respected attorney, business leader and philanthropist, Roberts retired from The Dow Chemical Company, where she was Secretary and Assistant General Counsel. She is an honorary director of the SVSU Foundation Board.