President’s Leadership Program at Colorado State University announces 2010-2011 Scholars

The President’s Leadership Program at Colorado State University has announced six participants in the inaugural year of the PLP Scholars program.

The scholars are Darryl Beemer of Loveland; Jessica Galvan of Aurora; Ryne Schroder of Campo; and Madeleine Wilbur, Kevin Westhoff and Elise Yenne, all from Colorado Springs.

The President’s Leadership Program, established in 1989, is a comprehensive leadership development experience comprised of three year-long academic and experiential courses focused on developing active, informed citizens who practice ethical and service-oriented leadership.

The PLP Scholars are an elite cohort within PLP that will participate in the traditional PLP classes for the first three years. In addition, they will attend discussion groups with the CSU president and top faculty, meet nationally and internationally renowned leaders, receive $2,000 in funding for a professional internship abroad or at a nationally renowned site, and complete a discovery/artistry project mentored by a faculty member in their field of study.

More about the students:

Darryl Beemer is a graduate of Mountain View High School in Loveland. He is a Boettcher Scholarship recipient and plans to major in mechanical engineering.

Beemer served as vice president of the 4-H Club, president of the American Rambouillet Sheep Breeders Association, and president of Interact Club, where he helped organize a “pedal-cab” fundraiser to purchase ShelterBoxes and toys for families affected by Windsor’s tornado disaster. Beemer also used his experience as a varsity cross-country runner, basketball, and baseball player to coach Special Olympics through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Jessica Galvan is a graduate of Martin Luther King Jr. Early College in Aurora. She is a Daniels Scholarship recipient and plans to major in political science.

Galvan was a founding member and co-president of College for Every Student, an organization that advertised college pathways and raised awareness of service opportunities, and a member of the Denver Urban Debate League. Her service experiences include rebuilding a vandalized playground and volunteering for the Special Olympics.

Ryne Schroder is a graduate of Vilas School in Campo. He is a recipient of the Monfort and Daniels scholarships and plans to major in civil and environmental engineering.

Schroder served as president of his local FFA Chapter, National Honor Society, and Baca County 4-H Program, where he was a 10-year member. He played football, basketball and baseball, and he was a member of the Lamar All-Star Baseball Team. After college, he plans to return to southeast Colorado to pursue the engineering side of agriculture.

Kevin Westhoff is a graduate of Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs. He is a Monfort Scholarship recipient and plans to major in mechanical engineering.

Westhoff served as president of the Serteen Community Service Club and Pine Creek Student Council, which raised 80,000 pounds of food for the Harvest-of-Love food drive. He was captain of the varsity cross-country team and baseball team and earned his Eagle Scout rank.

Madeleine Wilbur is a graduate of Colorado Springs Christian School in Colorado Springs. She is a Monfort Scholarship recipient and plans to double major in visual arts and business.

Wilbur was co-president of A Call to Service (ACTS), editor-in-chief of the yearbook staff, and coordinated events for the National Day of Prayer. In 2009, she raised money for a nine-day service trip to Haiti through Student Overseas Missions. Wilbur also runs her own photography studio and is a competitive archer.

Elise Yenne is a graduate of Roy J. Wasson High School in Colorado Springs. She is a Boettcher Scholarship recipient and plans to major in psychology and sociology.

Yenne was co-founder and president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Wasson High School as well as president of the National Honor Society, where she led a toy drive for disadvantaged families. She has been a weekly facilitator for STARs, which provides support for at-risk teenage girls in Colorado, and acted in her school’s drama productions.

The PLP Scholars are supported by the Boettcher Foundation Endowment for Distinctive Educational Programming.

For more information about the President’s Leadership Program at Colorado State, contact Alexis Kanda-Olmstead at (970) 491-2181 or
Alexis.Kanda-Olmstead@colostate.edu.

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