Four members of the Hobby School’s Next Generation Leadership Academy cohort headed to the East Coast for the inaugural Next Generation Service Corp Summer Summit, a national gathering of NextGen Service Corp students from universities throughout the country from June 5-8, 2023. The emerging leaders experienced five days of intensive workshops and immersive experiences at Montclair State University in New Jersey, focused on developing team-building skills and thinking critically about the most complex issues of our time. The students participated in group assignments and presentations, volunteered for a local service project and toured historical sites in New York and New Jersey.

The weeklong student summit was sponsored by The Volcker Alliance, whose $100,000 grant helped found the Next Generation Leadership Academy at the University of Houston in 2022 for undergraduate students passionate about public service.

Reflecting on their experiences 

“Throughout the week-long summit, we were separated into groups based on themes and attended lectures leading to our final presentations, service project and site visit. My group consisted of students from the University of Washington, Montclair State University and Arizona State University focusing on environmentalism and limiting emissions through cap and trade.” - Alexia Aguilar

“My favorite speaker was Ambassador Chris Lu, Representative of the U.S. to the United Nations. He had a lot of valuable insight into what it meant to be an influential representative to millions of people. I also learned how crucial human interaction is to the work we do, especially from far-reaching and unexpected places. I want to bring that mindset and initiative to Houston.” - Gabriela Hamdieh 

“My favorite activity was when we chose superpowers during the summit opening that matched our passions. I also enjoyed visiting the Federal Reserve because many political and ethical responsibilities belong to the Fed. I learned how other programs engage on campus, gaining interest from other students, which was something I was looking for and planned to bring back.” - Bryanna Nimmons