By Matthew Abel, Class of 2026
When writing my application to become a Luther Hodges Scholar, I never imagined that as part of the program I would get the opportunity to listen to and learn from a former U.S. Army Special Operations Task Force Leader, Risk Mitigation Director, and Martial Artist all in one evening. On March 25th, my fellow scholars and I from the Class of 2026 gathered in the Kenan Center Dining Room to participate in an exceptionally informative safety training procured by Leader Solutions and Decision Support (LSDS), a risk mitigation company. As our cohort begins to prepare for summer internships in cities across the United States and around the globe, this training exemplified how scholar safety and a positive experience remains at the heart of the Luther Hodges Scholars program.
Following a tasty dinner, our evening commenced with an introductory presentation prepared by Stacy Mandock, LSDS’s Risk Mitigation Program Director. We learned about some of the most pressing global safety concerns to look out for this summer, from extreme weather events to cybersecurity threats. Stacy outlined specific steps we can take to enhance the safety of our summer travel, from downloading public transit applications to changing device settings and packing strategically to mitigate attempted theft.
From former Army Special Operations Task Force Leader and LSDS Founder Terry Peters Next, we learned about situational awareness. Terry led us in an outdoor activity where we were able to visualize the importance of distance as it pertains to maintaining one’s safety via a fun yet serious and informative game of capture the flag. Terry emphasized the importance of following your instincts when faced with potentially dangerous situations and avoiding distractions such as texting or listening to loud music when navigating both new and known environments.
Our training concluded with a session hosted by Randy McElwee, the Executive Director of Martial Arts Success Institute. Randy was exceptionally knowledgeable about physical safety and taught us various techniques we could employ to defend ourselves. Importantly, this component of the training included time for us to practice with our fellow scholars, which allowed us to test out what we had learned!
After hearing from the experts at LSDS, it’s safe to say that our cohort is now equipped with the tools and techniques we need to maintain our safety and well-being this summer as we strive to change the world for the better at the intersection of business, academia, policy, government and the nonprofit sector, both here at home and around the globe.