The Emerging Leader Program: Leaders for Others
Since its inception in 1988, the Emerging Leader Program (ELP) has earned the reputation of being a premiere leadership program for first-year students at Boston College. Each year, 50 first-year students are selected to participate in the one-year leadership development program. Guided by the Social Change Model of leadership development, ELP aims to form leaders for others. By participating in ELP, students develop the leadership skills and competencies necessary to facilitate positive change on campus and in their communities.
This yearlong leadership development program will equip and empower students to engage in leadership during their time at Boston College and beyond through large and small group activities and discussions, events, experiential outings, service, and mentorship.
Application Deadline: Friday, July 10th, 2023 at 11:59 PM.
Program Highlights
Upperclassmen Mentors
ELP Retreat
ELP Small Groups
Weekly ELP Meetings
Signature ELP Events
Service Partnership
- Move onto campus early and attend the ELP Welcome on Tuesday, August 20th* and participate in the ELP Retreat from August 21 - August 22*
- Participate in weekly ELP meetings during both Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters on Tuesdays from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
- Participate in ELP Team-Building Day and the ELP Trip to Downtown Boston
- Complete the five ELP Core Experiences which include extra opportunities for leadership development and engagement
- Be enrolled full time (12 credit hours) at Boston College for both Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters
- Pay a $50 non-refundable program fee**
- Maintain open communication with peers and program leaders
- Be open to learning and challenging oneself
- Additional ELP Core Experiences inlude:
- Participate in a Student Involvement Fair during either the Fall 2024 or Spring 2025 semesters
- Participate in a Wellness Coaching Session during either the Fall 2024 or Spring 2025 semesters
- Participate in a leadership development conference or workshop experience
- Participate in one hour of weekly service at the Saint Columbkille Partnership School during both semesters
- *All dates are tentative and subject to change and adjustments to the program may be made to be compliant with state, local, and University guidelines related to COVID-19.
**Under a number of circumstances, this fee may be waived. Please contact Bella Esposito at espositi@bc.edu with questions or concerns.
ELP Facilitators
Emerging Leader Program (ELP) Facilitators foster the leadership development of first-year students while also guiding them through their transition into the Boston College community. ELP Facilitators provide a meaningful mentoring relationship while helping new students learn what it means to be a leader for others.
The 2022–2023 ELP Facilitators
ELP Facilitators
ELP Senior Coordinator
LSEHD ‘24, Applied Psychology and Human Development
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
By participating in the Emerging Leader Program (ELP), students will:
- Attend the ELP Retreat
- Attend weekly ELP Meetings during both Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters (Tuesdays from 6:00-8:00pm)
- Participate in service at the Saint Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton, MA
- Attend monthly ELP Outings
- Be enrolled full time (12 credit hours) at BC for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters
- Pay a $150 non-refundable program fee*
- Maintain open communication with peers and program facilitators
- Be open to learning and challenging oneself
Career readiness competencies developed through this program:
- Leadership
Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. The individual is able to assess and manage his/her emotions and those of others; use empathetic skills to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work.
- Teamwork/Collaboration
Build collaborative relationships with colleagues representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. The individual is able to work within a team structure, and can negotiate and manage conflict.
- Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
Exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems. The individual is able to obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and may demonstrate originality and inventiveness.
- Professionalism/Work Ethic
Demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time workload management, and understand the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image. The individual demonstrates integrity and ethical behavior, acts responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and is able to learn from his/her mistakes.
Participants must be able to fulfill the following requirements:
- Attend the ELP Retreat
- Attend weekly ELP Meetings during both Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters (Tuesdays from 6:00-8:00pm)
- Participate in service at the Saint Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton, MA
- Attend monthly ELP Outings
- Be enrolled full time (12 credit hours) at BC for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters
- Pay a $150 non-refundable program fee*
- Maintain open communication with peers and program facilitators
Be open to learning and challenging oneself
*Under a number of circumstances, this fee may be waived. Please contact us at elp@bc.edu with questions or concerns.
The Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship
The Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to the freshman in the Emerging Leader Program whose leadership skills and potential are best represented by Boston College’s philosophies of “Ever to Excel” and being “Men and Women for Others.”
The scholarship recipient is selected by the director of the Emerging Leader Program and announced each year, at the end-of-the-year ELP banquet.
Kevin M. Eidt was a member of the Boston College class of 2000. A freshman in the Emerging Leader Program, Kevin died of cardiac arrest during an intramural basketball game in the second semester of his freshman year. In recognition of the tremendous impact he made on the Boston College community in such a short time, Kevin was posthumously awarded the Nicholas H. Woods Leadership Award, sponsored by the Office of Student Development.
In addition, the Liturgical Arts Group dedicated their "I Want to Praise Your Name" CD to Kevin and the men and women's intramural basketball championship trophy is named in his honor. This scholarship was created as a legacy to a young man who, in one semester, made a positive impact on the BC community, lived the motto "Ever to Excel" and approached every day with the exuberance and determination to live life to its fullest.
The scholarship is funded by the Kevin Eidt Fund at Boston College, which is supported by alumni contributions and grants from the Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship Fund; a 501(c)(3) publicly supported charitable organization.
Past scholarship recipients
2024 | Allison Berg (Tacoma, WA)
2023 | Brody Whetzel (Salem, OR)
2022 | Aidan Mackey | (West Oneonta, NY)
2021 | Lauren Dadekian | (Upper Saddle River, NJ)
2020 | Audrey Davis | (Fanwood, NJ)
2019 | Henry Bayly | (Fort Myers, FL)
2018 | Fatoumata Sall | (New York, NY)
2018 | Noella D'Souza | (Sharon, MA) Facilitator Award
2017 | Joan Kennedy | (San Antonio, TX)
2016 | Kandace Nguyen | (Morrero, LA)
2015 | Noah Groenewold | (Hinsdale, IL)
2014 | Alec Ellis | (Winter Park, FL)
2013 | Christopher Klotsche | (Milwaukee, WI)