Creating campus leaders
Liberty initiative, Project Lead, offers service opportunities for students
STANDARD — Former Liberty student Connor Carew will speak at Project Lead’s meeting Feb. 23 about the characteristics of leadership that landed him a job on Wall Street.
Photo Credit: Nathan Spencer
Project Lead, an initiative with the goal of preparing Liberty students to become better leaders, will have its first meeting of the semester Feb. 23.
Connor Carew, former Liberty student and one of the youngest people ever to work on Wall Street, will be the guest speaker at the first meeting of the semester.
Director and founder of Project Lead Alex Ehrich said that its mission is “to equip and empower students so they can better impact their world.”
Ehrich said there will be five meetings throughout this semester with a variety of guest speakers including LU Serve Local Engagement Director Scott MacLeod and Liberty Student Body President Jack Heaphy.
Ehrich, who is the senior class president, said Project Lead offers a chance for students to not only hear from guest speakers, but to also have a chance to ask questions in an open forum discussion with those guests.
Ehrich said they want students to learn by both hearing and speaking.
Project Lead also plans to highlight student leaders around Liberty via social media to promote their organizations and inspire other students to lead.
Ehrich said he was inspired by the leadership training he received while working for Student Life and wanted to bring an opportunity for students of any major at Liberty to receive leadership training for their lives.
“Project Lead is designed to prepare all students to be leaders, not just while they are in school, but when they leave also,” Ehrich said.
Ehrich said that he wants students to be leaders in society and know that there are big benefits to leadership for themselves and for others.
“Leadership is tough, but it’s worth it,” Ehrich said.
“There is a huge reward for those who choose to step up into leadership, and leadership is not about you — it’s about the people around you.”
Project Lead Assistant Director Caleb Johnson said he expects to have around 50 students attend their first meeting in February, with the hope of expanding their numbers throughout the semester.
“Our goal is by the end of this semester to have 100 regular attendees at Project Lead,” Johnson said.
Johnson said he wants students to realize that the most important aspect of leadership is serving others.
“If you want to be a leader, the first thing that you should ask in any situation is ‘How can I help?’” Johnson said.
Johnson described Project Lead as an opportunity for students to equip themselves with leadership skills that will help in the future.
Johnson wants Liberty students to embrace their roles not just as leaders, but Christian leaders seeking to impact the world.
“I want people to see that everybody at Liberty University is a leader,” Johnson said.
“I think that being a Christian, we’re required to be leaders so that we can impact the world for God and show Christ’s love.”
Johnson said he has seen his leadership ability improve because of his involvement with the initiative.
“I guarantee that I have become a better leader through Project Lead,” Johnson said.
“It’s been amazing to be able to watch others grow, but also being able to see
myself grow with them.”
Ehrich said that all of the strategies Project Lead uses to promote leadership focus on making students more Christ-like.
“In the end, leadership is ultimately an opportunity to make more of the gospel and make more of Christ,” Ehrich said.