CTN recently held a virtual training for ACC Ascender Leadership Interns presented by Dr. Chavez, CTN CEO and Debra McBeath, CTN Director of Communications and Engagement.

After an icebreaker, participants, which included all interns and their instructors as well as guests, received information about the benefits of being an intern. Some of those mentioned were working with a team and developing key competencies, skills, and work characteristics that employers seek, such as the responsibility of meeting deadlines, organization of materials, and time management.

Next, Dr. Chavez talked about why Latino leaders are needed. She presented several facts including: people of color have represented only 18% of board membership in the US; Latinos represent 18.5% of the U.S. population but only 4% of business executives in the U.S.; and 60% of all nonprofits report serving people of color, yet Latinos barely represent 5% of nonprofit board members in the U.S. She also spoke about why we need more women and the underrepresented in STEM.

McBeath then discussed the objectives of the leadership training which were to encourage participants to learn ways of developing and managing people; to challenge themselves and identify who they want to be as a leader; to tackle the broader societal issues they face and how leaders contribute to solutions; and to develop the emotional intelligence to handle different situations.

Participants were then presented various leadership styles, including the servant leader-using CTN’s founder, John Siceloff, as an example. Participants were asked to reflect upon and discuss the leadership style with which they most identified.

The training ended with participants watching Michelle Obama’s video “Who Are You Gonna Be?” They were again asked to reflect upon and discuss the following two questions: What skills and/or qualities might this internship provide for you that employers want and/or how can the internship increase your confidence?  and How does being a leader, and especially a servant leader, tie in with what employers are looking for and what our communities need right now?

The ACC Leadership Internship was made possible by a grant from the Hispanic Impact Fund, part of the Austin Community Foundation, to promote leadership opportunities and leadership training to students on Austin Community College campuses to help students see themselves as leaders and to provide opportunities to become leaders.