Each summer, 30 minority high school students come together at Penn in a monthlong, highly intensive leadership program that introduces them to the realities of the business world.
The Wharton Leadership Education and Development program has quietly grown to become an institution within the University. Formed in 1980 by now-executive consultant Harold Haskins, it still draws talented, underrepresented minority scholars for an early taste of the Wharton experience.
With the extra emphasis placed on diversity within University life, the program might be as pertinent as ever. LEAD "is fairly consistent with the actual philosophy today, particularly now, in that this new administration is really focused on diversity," Haskins says.
And although the personnel has changed in the program's 25-year duration, the main ambition has remained the same.
"The goal for LEAD is to introduce the idea of business education to students at a national level who are underrepresented minorities," Director of Undergraduate Leadership Programs Anne Greenhalgh says.
Every summer, the 30 high school juniors selected for the program experience what the business world is all about. "They get a monthlong, complete immersion in business and leadership," Curriculum Director Chris Maxwell says. "It impacts them by immersing them totally in team projects, case projects, site visits, case analysis and lectures from faculty and business executives. ... It's a total immersion experience."
In the past, students have visited American Express, Goldman Sachs, the New York Stock Exchange, Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline, among many others. And it is this involvement and experiential approach that make the program unique.
"When I [came to] LEAD and I got to see some of the various projects they had us working on, ... it opened up my eyes to the fact that there is a science behind business," Wharton sophomore and former LEAD participant Christina Forde says. "It was an insight of what Wharton would be like. ... It was an amazing opportunity."
The initial success of the program fueled the creation of LEAD programs at other universities. Now, there are more than 10 other universities with similar programs in place.
"I think it's a model for recruiting the best and the brightest of the diverse population," Haskins says.
LEAD encourages its participants to apply to the University, and many of them do, although not necessarily to the Wharton School. The program now boasts over 250 Penn alumni throughout its history, and over 100 students from all LEAD programs across the nation are currently enrolled in the University.
"One of my closest friends -- we met at LEAD Wharton, and you meet a lot of other students of color who have also done LEAD," Forde says. "It's a nice common factor to have among people. ... It's definitely a positive resource."
Those who run the program try to provide a sense of community for the students who enroll.
"When we touch young people with such talent, ... we try to keep in touch with them," Haskins says, noting that University officials foster community and a "collegial experience" among the student participants who go on to attend the University.
Although funding and budget questions have plagued the program in the past, a number of corporate sponsors have shown interest in the success of the program and its students. Haskins, no longer the active director, plays a crucial role in these fundraising efforts.
"LEAD was basically another stage in my life, ... helping students recognize their own sense of empowerment in institutional experiences," Haskins says.
