Empowering students to lead and create meaningful change is at the core of the Luther Hodges Scholars Program. Over the past three years in the program, I’ve been inspired and motivated by this community of like-minded students who are driven to use business for good.
I’m grateful to have had scholars serve as role models who demonstrate what purpose-driven leadership can look like. For me, the best example of this is Will Nichols, LHS Class of 2024 and founder of SolarEquity. I’ve enjoyed following in his footsteps as the current president of SolarEquity, and he’s one of the reasons I’ve grown as a leader.
Will founded SolarEquity, a student-run nonprofit, to expand access to renewable energy for low-income communities by funding and facilitating solar installations. This school year, we’ve grown the organization to over 50 student members and raised over $150,000 for our three projects.
SolarEquity perfectly represents applying the Luther Hodges Scholars program’s values of cross-sector collaboration and leadership into tangible community impact.
Our incoming president, Elena Abuin, LHS Class of 2027, explains, “SolarEquity exhibits the values of the Luther Hodges Scholars program every single day. Cross-sector collaboration is the lifeblood of our work. From partnering with NGOs on solar projects to working with Fortune 500 companies on $100K+ funding strategies, SolarEquity uses UNC as an academic launch pad to reach beyond boundaries and make our communities stronger.” It is thanks to the LHS program that we understand the importance of cross-sector collaboration and have been able to make such lasting impact.
It all comes back to Will’s reflection on his time in the Luther Hodges Scholars program where he describes how important this connection between the program and SolarEquity are. “It was with the LHS program that I learned how to harness my passion for the intersection between the public and private sectors so that I could drive environmental and social progress.” Through our work in SolarEquity, Will, Elena, and I have further developed the very skills the Luther Hodges Scholars program teaches, like navigating complexity, building trust across stakeholders, and developing innovative solutions, all while helping the local community.
The values that the LHS program has instilled in three of SolarEquity’s four presidents, along with the focus on cross-sector collaboration and leadership, have clearly contributed to the organization’s success.
SolarEquity is a powerful example of the impact scholars can have in the local community. Most recently, we partnered with the Chapel Hill Rotary Club to install solar panels on TABLE Food Pantry. TABLE provides healthy food to over 1,200 children across Orange County each week, and they will save more than $59,000 in energy costs over the next 30 years. These savings are equivalent to 40,000+ meals for children in the community and will allow TABLE to focus more resources on feeding local children.
SolarEquity demonstrates what is possible when students are empowered to lead through programs like Luther Hodges Scholars. We aren’t just learning about cross-sector collaboration and leadership. We’re actively putting it into practice to create meaningful change, and we’re so grateful to the Luther Hodges Scholars Program for supporting us.
To learn more about SolarEquity, visit solar-equity.org.
