Fall 2020 MLDP Students in Excellence

Each term the Management Leadership Development Program provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their leadership experience and build the skills to be more effective leaders. At the close of the program, participants are asked to nominate their peers for excellence. When nominating, students are asked to explain why their nominees made their experience in MLDP more beneficial and how their nominees provided an excellent example of leadership during the program. At the end of the term, students must have perfect attendance and be nominated multiple times, by multiple peers to complete the program with excellence. Below are the collaborated comments about those who completed the Management and Leadership Development Program with excellence in Fall 2020.

Zippy Abraham Paiss (' 23) was an outstanding participant in MLDP this term through her active leadership during activities and discussions.  She graciously added to nuanced discussions, as she was never afraid to respectfully share her views, even if they went against the group norm. Several of her peers appreciated her kind and inviting her energy. A fellow participant felt as if they got to know her deeply, despite only talking with her for a short time. It was a pleasure to have Zippy in the program.

Uma Alagappan ('23) was timely, communicative, and engaged in every main session and discussion. She took time to listen to her peers and was an integral part of fostering an inclusive community between cohort members. Uma consistently submitted thoughtful and thorough weekly reflections that she intentionally tied into her own life experiences and/or PLC. Her peers noticed that she “excelled at creating a friendly and relaxing environment” in breakout rooms and “exhibited a contagious level of excitement for her Personal Leadership Challenge. The program thanks Uma for her sincere engagement.

Abby Burrows ('23) was an absolute pleasure to have in the program this fall. Her peers noted that she was a consistent and thoughtful participant in breakout rooms and group discussions alike. Her humble and listen-first leadership style is admirable, and she struck a great balance with an ambitious yet realistic and well-designed Personal Leadership Challenge. The program thanks her for her significant effort throughout the term.

Grace Chahyadinata’s ('21) outstanding work ethic could be seen in the quality of her reflections. They were always elaborate, thoughtful and thoroughly engaged with the material being taught in MLDP. She was a proactive and communicative participant who embodied stellar professionalism, kindness and humility. It was an absolute pleasure to have Grace in the program this term.

Emma Cunningham ('23) has shown tremendous growth and development over the course of the program. Initially quiet-natured, she put in exemplary effort within her weekly reflections to share her insights and express her enthusiastic personality. As time progressed, both her peers and staff appreciated how she began stepping outside of her comfort zone with contributions during activities and discussions. Through her honestly, vulnerability, and level of engagement, she subtly, yet remarkably set the tone for other participants to follow suit. The program thanks Emma for her hard work.

Michael Del Sesto ('23) spent a huge amount of time on his Personal Leadership Challenge, which involved strong dedication to a community important to him outside of Dartmouth. His final reflection showed how committed he was to the challenge. In addition, he was always timely with communication and his weekly reflections were thorough and detailed. His peers appreciated that he was “quick to lead discussion without controlling them.” The program thanks Michael for his hard work.

Kevin Ding ('23) started the fall off strong as the winner of our program expectations Kahoot. He continued to impress others with thoughtful contributions in each session and small group discussion. His peers appreciate that, despite his comfort with speaking in group settings, he always seeks to include others in conversations about leadership and management. Most of all, he is a kind and thoughtful person. It was a pleasure to have Kevin in MLDP.

Laura Holland ('22) consistently submitted thoughtful reflections. She always made sure to thoroughly answer every question, and the quality of her writing was of the highest standard. Laura was also an active contributor during her group discussions. Her final personal leadership challenge reflection demonstrated how much effort she put into engaging with the program content. The program thanks Laura for her hard work and commitment.

Anoush Krafian ('22) was an enthusiastic, energized, and engaged member in each session and discussion this fall. Her peers appreciated her vulnerability and openness. They also noted that she made a deliberate effort to make others feel more comfortable in difficult conversations. Her quiet leadership style allowed her to bring the best out of others, and she demonstrated a truly special ability to connect with peers. MLDP thanks Anoush for her thoughtful contributions to the program.

Haley Leversedge ('23) consistently enriched group discussions with her thoughtful insights and forward-thinking contributions each week. Her friendliness and attentiveness did not go unnoticed among her peers. They appreciated her considerate nature, and how she worked to find common ground among participants in order to build consensus during group activities. MLDP thanks Haley for her positive engagement in the program.

Jack Nickastro ('23) was a friendly and outgoing participant with contagious positive energy. He always engaged deeply with discussion prompts each week. Moreover, he made sure his peers felt heard and understood in discussions. Others noted that Jack “gave feedback in a way that was insightful and not patronizing” and that he was “honest with his responses, yet open to hearing different perspectives.” MLDP thanks Jack for his positive contributions to the program.

Kaia Reznicek ('23) had perfect attendance for both the speaker led sessions and her cohort group discussions. She embodies the ideal of being an active and curious learner, which could be seen from her reflection responses and her personal leadership challenge. In addition, Kaia actively participated in her cohort discussions and on various occasions gave insightful responses during the main sessions that deepened the learning for others. The program thanks Kaia for her stellar commitment to MLDP.

Gabby Riddick ('23) has a refreshingly warm and bubbly personality that transcends Zoom screens. There wasn’t a single session or small group discussion where her energy was missed. Her peers appreciated how thoughtfully she listened, which made them feel seen and heard. They also remarked on her tenacious nature, as she was committed to actively engage during discussions, despite having connection issues. The program thanks Gabby for her positive contributions.

Ella Steinhilber’s ('23) eagerness, curiosity, and immense dedication to MLDP is hard to go unnoticed. Each week she submitted profound reflections, that showed she was really absorbing the lessons in MLDP, including her PLC, which was an ambitious initiative. Throughout the program, she led her peers by example by putting in tremendous effort to engage during the sessions and discussions. The program thanks Ella for her incredible commitment to MLDP.