Rockefeller Leadership Fellow: Terence Hughes ’17

This series introduces the 2016-2017 Rockefeller Leadership Fellows. Each fellow reflects on why he or she wanted to be a part of the program and what aspects of leadership most interests them.

My interest in RLF is rooted in my leadership experiences. As a child, I grew up idolizing leadership. My father worked as a captain in the FDNY, and he was a first responder to 9/11. I admired his courage and acts of valor, specifically how he led silently, yet others listened nonetheless. I also admired the simultaneous respect he commanded and respect he held for others. My interest in leadership evolved from admiration to action as I encountered my own leadership opportunities.

Leadership takes many forms; some leaders hold powerful positions and use their voice to impact larger infrastructure, while other leaders exhibit leadership in micro-level interpersonal interactions. As I move forward as an aspiring doctor and more importantly as a person, I want to continue developing the leadership tools that allow me to exercise leadership at both the micro and macro level. I will bring to RLF, an active reflection on leadership and its multiplicity of forms; similarly, I eagerly anticipate the opportunity RLF will provide to engage with leadership in all forms.

One of my first leadership experiences where I began to appreciate my larger leadership platform was when I directed the DOC 50 during 15F. Each fall, about 30-40 Dartmouth students hike in teams from Hanover to the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge in one go. While directing the 50, I intentionally reflected on my position as director, and the power that accompanied it. My co-directors and I intentionally advocated for an increase in accessibility for everyone from any corner of campus.

Beyond Dartmouth, I envision opportunities for micro and macro leadership as a doctor. Medicine is inherently personal – it provides the opportunity to engage with a patient narrative, to impact at the individual level. Despite the unquantifiable gratification that results from this personal leadership, other aspects of healthcare can only be addressed by a leader working at the macro-level. The complicated intersection between macro and micro leadership opportunities is both where I am confused, and where I hope to most actively engage in RLF in order further explore questions including: how can I, as a leader, best impact the largest number of people without losing touch of the personal aspect of leadership? How can I be aware and be critical of the power that macro-leadership positions entail, and then use this awareness and critical eye to become a better leader?

Terence Hughes ’17 is from Pearl River, NY where he graduated from Pearl River High School. At Dartmouth, Terence is an Anthropology major, Neuroscience minor, pre-health student. Terence works for the Admissions Office, where he is a tour guide and tour guide trainer. He also does undergraduate research with patients with serious mental illness as a James O. Freedman Presidential Scholar. The Dickey Center funded Terence to work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he worked on health communications related to Zika virus. In his free time, Terence enjoys hiking and trail running; Terence is involved in the Dartmouth Outing Club, where he led first year trips and directed the Fifty. He is also captain of the Dartmouth Endurance Racing Team. After graduation, Terence plans to eventually attend the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he will pursue his MD.

Edited by Rachel Favors '18, Rockefeller Center Student Program Assistant for Communications