Lessons in leadership

By Rebecca Kirkman and Roy Henry on June 23, 2021

Parkville High School rising senior Isabelle Hartmann plans to pursue a career in medicine. Further developing her leadership skills, she says, is the key to getting there.

As one of 25 students selected from each Baltimore County public high school to participate in the 2021 Outstanding Young Women Leaders program, Hartmann is closer to her dream.

“I want to be able to take charge in that situation and do the best I can in that field. This experience will lead to skills in that area,” Hartmann says.

Part of the Women’s Leadership Collective at TU, the Outstanding Young Women Leaders program is a partnership between Towson University and Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS).

Spearheaded by TU alumna and Presidential Scholar Nancy Grasmick, the program extends the Women’s Leadership Collective’s skill-building and mentorship opportunities to women in high school.

“I think we have this misperception that leaders are born,” Grasmick says. “We have to invest in the leadership potential. And that’s what this is all about. Investing in that leadership potential, developing it, and hoping that it’s sustained when these young women go on to colleges and universities.”

The program launched its second cohort in January with virtual activities via Zoom. But on June 23, the young women were able to get together in person for the first time for a retreat held at Towson University’s South Campus Pavilion.

“They not only learn from us, but they learn from each other, and that’s the experience we want them to have today,” Grasmick adds.

Read more: Towson University announces launch of The Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute

At the retreat, the scholars practiced skills such as public speaking, team building, networking and problem solving through a series of activities guided by BCPS Director of Professional Learning Elizabeth Berquist ’03 ’13.

“We gave them the opportunity to meet leaders in their field. The opportunity to experience workshops and sessions that focus on specific parts of their leadership—communication, emotional intelligence, thinking about service to the community,” Berquist says. “Those experiences are not something that you typically get in high school.”

Reaching students as they wrap up their junior year and begin their senior year of high school is a critical time for leadership development, Berquist adds.

“In that transition from being a high school student to walking into adulthood, the more you can be empowered with these skills, the more confidence it gives you as a leader,” she says.

To be eligible for the program, the young women had to meet academic, leadership and community service requirements and be nominated by their principal. Members of the TU Women’s Leadership Collective selected a finalist from each high school after reviewing applications and school transcripts and conducting interviews.

Because the young women are already leaders in their own schools and communities, the program builds on skills they already have in order to prepare them for success at the next level.

“Being able to sit with other adults who have been through that road before, who can talk to you about barriers they have experienced and ways that you can remove those barriers, is really powerful.” Berquist adds. “And they were also able to get them into spaces that they wouldn’t typically have access to as a 17- or 18-year-old. Just being able to see that is very motivating in that phase of your life.”

Members of the inaugural cohort of Outstanding Young Women Leaders, who completed the program in January, will move onto top colleges and universities, including Towson University, Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, University of Maryland and the University of Virginia.

“One of the biggest lessons I've taken has been that sometimes what you perceive as an obstacle can be the key to success,” says program alumna Nasreen Naqvi, who will begin studying at Johns Hopkins University in the fall. “This program has taught me to look at things more positively and accept obstacles coming your way as an opportunity instead of dismissing them as something negative.”

Read more: Young women find ‘confidence, empowerment’ in TU leadership program

Jazzi Pridgen, a rising senior at New Town High School in Owings Mills and a member of the second cohort, says the program has connected her with fellow leaders she wouldn’t have had the chance to meet otherwise.

“You have a lot of us from different schools, many different parts of Maryland,” says Pridgen, an entrepreneur who plans to open up her own food truck after college. Pridgen was paired with a mentor who started her own culinary business. “We’re coming together as young women to show the world what we can do.”

Markeya Findley, a rising senior at Dundalk High School who plans to pursue nursing in college, says the program has pushed her outside her comfort zone to meet new people and hone leadership skills.

“It’s something we can do as young women to come together as one and make an impact on the world.”

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Women’s Leadership Collective

The Women’s Leadership Collective at TU provides leadership skills and experience allowing women to advance their academic and professional careers while creating a collective of women supporting women.