As I reflect on the spring semester, I am struck by the journeys unfolding across our community.
Each year, the Luther Hodges Scholars Program welcomes a new cohort of students who arrive with tremendous promise, curiosity, and ambition to “use business for good”. Over time, through coursework, mentorship, dialogue, experiential learning, research, and reflection, they begin to develop something deeper: a cross-sector mindset and a growing identity as leaders capable of navigating complexity and creating positive change.
This semester’s newsletter captures that journey.
It begins by welcoming new scholars into our community of practice, where leadership is not simply studied but learned through participation. Together, scholars engage in meaningful conversations, challenge one another’s assumptions, and learn to value perspectives different from their own. Through experiences like Living Room Conversations, they develop the empathy, curiosity, and cultural competence required to lead in an increasingly interconnected world.
As our sophomore scholars prepare for their summer internships, they will carry these lessons beyond the classroom and into organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. There, they will put into practice what they have learned about collaboration, problem solving, and leadership while gaining firsthand experience with the complex challenges facing communities and institutions today.
We also celebrate our graduating seniors, whose accomplishments reflect years of growth and intentional development. As senior graduation speaker Larkin Gliddon reminded us at graduation, one of the most enduring lessons of the Luther Hodges Scholars experience is the development of a cross-sector mindset: the ability to embrace complexity, engage diverse perspectives, and work collaboratively toward solutions that create value for both business and society.
These graduates leave Carolina with more than knowledge and credentials. They leave with a deeper understanding of themselves, a commitment to serving something larger than themselves, and the confidence to lead across boundaries that too often divide people, organizations, and sectors.
As we celebrate our tenth year and engage in a strategic planning process to shape the program’s future, I am reminded that our mission remains as relevant as ever. The challenges facing our communities and institutions are increasingly complex. They require leaders who can build bridges, foster collaboration, and bring together diverse perspectives in pursuit of the public good.
That is the work our scholars are learning to do.
And that is the future we are building together.
Kim Allen, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Luther Hodges Scholars
