Westminster Student 1 of 24 in Nation Selected for Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship 

Westminster student Celeste Cummings ’19 from Florissant, MO has been selected as one of 24 students nationally to receive an Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship.

“When I found out that I was selected to be a part of the Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship, I felt extremely honored,” says Cummings. “Just by going through the interview process, I met  so many inspirational peers. I am excited to see what this fellowship has in store for me and cannot wait to grow from this opportunity.”

As a part of the Institute’s commitment to values-based, action-oriented leadership, this program spurs selected fellows to consider the values and perspectives necessary for effective leadership in their communities and in society at-large.

As a recipient of the fellowship, Cummings and other fellows will meet for classes over a two-year period to develop skills to engage in their communities and with each other, while also developing group projects for their local regions.  As new fellows are selected each year and engage with each other, a cross-section of local leaders grows in each of these communities, driving real change and sustainable progress.

The first year of the program is composed of five sessions that focus on “Connecting Passion to Purpose.”

The second year of the program is composed of four sessions that focus on “Community Impact” with each fellow launching a social venture project designed to directly impact the local community.  During the creation of their projects, each fellow meets to develop the venture, receive feedback from the community and implement the idea. Meetings are coordinated and supported by a partner community liaison working directly with the Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship staff, and each fellow is assigned a leading local citizen as a mentor.

In between the seminars, the fellows engage in team bonding activities and are invited to sessions with local and national leaders.

Created in 1949 by Chicago businessman Walter Paepcke, the Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C.  Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues.