Leadership Challenge helps business, engineering students develop potential

Applications for Leadership Challenge 2020 are open through Oct. 18.

Every year, KU’s Leadership Challenge brings together students from the Schools of Business and Engineering for a two-day crash course in leadership.

The program is designed to highlight the importance of leadership skills to students and to their future employers. It also provides students an opportunity to network with employers in a variety of industries.

The emphasis on leadership appealed to marketing student Taylor Pullen, who serves as president of Alpha Kappa Alpha. After completing an online application and submitting her resume in fall 2018, Pullen was interviewed by a panel that included employer sponsors of the program.

“The interview process wasn’t bad at all,” Pullen said. “They asked simple and straightforward questions.”

Pullen was accepted to be part of Leadership Challenge 2019, held in January 2019. One of the highlights of her experience was hearing from the program’s facilitator, Denny Faurote.

“I have never been more engaged by a speaker in my life,” Pullen said. “I learned so much but didn’t feel like I was in class the whole time and was never bored.”

Looking back, Pullen said the experience helped her practice networking with professionals and gave her connections that have proven useful as the now-senior looks to her career after graduation.

“I would encourage everyone to apply because you learn so much vital information that is not taught in class,” she added.

Applications for the next Leadership Challenge, happening Jan. 16–17, 2020 are due by Oct. 18. This year’s sponsors include:

• BDO Consulting
• Burns & McDonnell
• EY
• Garmin
• Koch Industries
• Tradebot Systems (not attending)
• BKD
• Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
• Honeywell
• PwC