Rockefeller Leadership Fellow: Zachary Schmidt '16

This ongoing series introduces the Rockefeller Leadership Fellows for the 2014-2015 academic year. The Rockefeller Leadership Fellows (RLF) program provides fellows with resources in leadership theories and practical skills. Selected their Junior Spring, these Seniors take part in the workshops, dinner discussions, and team-building exercises as they gain a better understanding of the qualities and responsibilities necessary for leaders and successful leadership styles. Throughout the program, fellows learn from the insight and experience of distinguished guests as well as from each other.

Photo by Courtney Cania

Zachary Schmidt '16 graduated cum laude from the Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, MO, where he was an Eagle Scout and Captain of the football and wrestling teams. In 2011, Schmidt accepted an appointment as a midshipman to the United States Naval Academy, where he was elected to Academy’s Honor Congress, selected to the Superintendent’s List, and completed occupational training on board a ballistic missile submarine during his freshmen year. After graduating from an Academy-specific National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) development course, Schmidt served as a Training Corporal for underclassmen before taking a semester sabbatical from school his sophomore winter in order to conduct missions work at an orphanage in Uganda. In the fall of 2013, Schmidt matriculated to Dartmouth where he participates with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Christian Union as he continues to pursue a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.