Nearly Spring Break News!

In this Issue:

• Commencement email to P’25 families
• LeaderShape: a mid-May opportunity for your students
• Program for Leadership and Character opportunities that may be of interest

Welcome to Wind Forest! It has been seriously windy for the past couple of days, and today it is quite cool, only a high of 50. The forecast looks like it will much better next week (when many of our students will be elsewhere) – like in the high 70s/low 80s. I hope this brings out all the spring flowers. There is always something especially fun about students returning from Spring Break to see everything abloom.

Commencement email to P’25 families

A message is being sent to P’25 families (or P’24s with graduating students) late this afternoon. It is a lengthy email and I would encourage families to read it carefully. A couple of items to point out:

• All students expected to graduate in May 2025 have been sent a registration link with the option to register for Commencement tickets and Baccalaureate tickets. Students must order tickets for their guests by May 15 at 5 p.m. (though we encourage them to order sooner). Tickets will be available for download on May 1 (details about how to download their electronic tickets will be sent to students via email on May 1).
• Students who complete their ticket registration can order up to 8 guest tickets for the University Commencement ceremony on the Quad (9 a.m. Monday, May 19) and up to 2 tickets for Baccalaureate (11 a.m. Sunday, May 18); students do not need to have a ticket for themselves if they are planning to march in the student processional for each ceremony.
• Please encourage your student to order their Commencement regalia as soon as possible. Shipping can take up to four weeks, and orders ship in the order they are received. A limited number of caps and gowns will be available for purchase at the Bookstore; note that limited sizes will be stocked.
• Because parking on campus is limited, families are encouraged to park at the LJVM Coliseum and take the free shuttle to campus on Commencement day (Monday, May 19).

There is a lot more info, so please read the full message. We can’t wait to cheer on our graduates and share in their families’ rightful pride on Commencement day!

LeaderShape: a mid-May opportunity for your students

This was included in our WFU Should Know student e-newsletter today and I wanted to amplify it:

“Get ready for an unforgettable experience! LeaderShape is returning to Wake Forest for a second year, offering a four-day immersive program designed to help you grow as a leader and make a real impact. You’ll learn how to lead with integrity™, challenge the impossible, and create a more just and caring world.
The program runs from May 12-15 at Camp Caraway and is open to students who will be undergraduates in Fall 2025. Extended on-campus housing will be made available to all participants. Applications are due April 9. Questions? Reach out to Deb Marke, marked@wfu.edu.  Learn more about LeaderShape Institute at Wake Forest. To apply, you must create an account through the LeaderShape portal.“

Program for Leadership and Character opportunities that may be of interest

I was at a meeting earlier this week with The Program for Leadership and Character to learn more about what they do. Although I don’t have time today to go deep on what I learned, I will cover that in a future Daily Deac – but for now two immediate opportunities to share with you:

• During the second half of the spring semester, The Program for Leadership and Character will hold discussion groups that reflect on issues of leadership and character in relation to the following topics: Who is God and who are we?; Can I laugh at that? The Ethics of Comedy; and In Search of Hope. Interest groups will begin during the week of March 24 and will meet once per week for one hour each time over the next three weeks (March 31, April 7, and April 14). Students can sign up via their website. The deadline to sign up for a group is Wednesday, March 19. These groups are open to all Wake Forest undergraduates
• The application deadline has been extended until Wednesday, March 12 for the undergraduate Principled Pluralism Fellowship: the fellowship aims to support a small group of undergraduate students who will pursue research on pluralism, jointly author research on the importance of principled pluralism, work to develop the skills and virtue need to promote meaningful dialogue across difference. The Fellowship includes a stipend of $4,000 and double-occupancy housing on campus. Fellows also receive personal mentoring from experts in the field. The Fellowship is scheduled to run from June 2–July 25 and will be led by the Program for Leadership and Character.

Both of these might be really meaningful engagement for your students, so if this sounds like their jam, consider sharing with them.