UMD’s Smith School to Serve 90 High School Students

SELF, LEAD Programs Cater to Underrepresented Groups

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (March 2, 2015) -- About 90 high school students from underrepresented groups will study entrepreneurship and leadership this summer in two programs at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. Both programs, offered jointly by The Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets and the Smith Undergraduate Office, will introduce participants to college life and potential business careers.

The inaugural Snider Enterprise & Leadership Fellows (SELF) program will bring 60 rising high school juniors and seniors to campus July 27-31, 2015. The weeklong program, designed to support young women and aspiring first-generation college students, will follow the theme, “Making the world a better place by doing something important to yourSELF.”

The third annual Leadership, Education, and Development (LEAD) program will bring 30 rising high school seniors to campus Aug. 2-9, 2015. The weeklong program, designed for students of color, will help identify and develop aspiring business leaders. The application deadline for both programs is April 1, 2015.

 “The Snider Center is committed to talent development at the grassroots level,” said Rajshree Agarwal, the center director and Rudolph P. Lamone Chair and Professor in Entrepreneurship and Strategy at the Smith School. “The fulfillment of personal goals and aspirations through dedication and effort by our future business leaders is deeply intertwined with social well-being and vibrancy of our economy, and we are proud to partner with the Undergraduate Office to create programs that help deliver on this promise.”

Victor Mullins, Smith School Associate Dean and head of the Undergraduate Program, said SELF and LEAD are designed to increase the number of women and students of color who graduate with a business degree. “We want to have the student community as diverse as possible,” Mullins said. “I am excited to have these bright students on campus and to connect them to the wealth of talent within Smith.”

Both programs will incorporate diverse teaching and learning styles, aided by state-of-the-art technologies and interaction with Smith faculty. The programs have six objectives: 1. Engage scholars in an intense, hands-on curriculum incorporating case studies, business plans and team projects; 2. Provide scholars with firsthand knowledge from business professionals through mentoring and corporate site visits; 3. Develop scholars’ presentation and public speaking skills; 4. Impart principles of responsible leadership; 5. Engage scholars in cultural and social activities; and 6. Prepare scholars for college.

To learn more, visit the SELF and LEAD application pages.