In the fall of 2021, as campuses across the country reopened and students returned with both hope and hesitation, at the Carolina Latinx Center we faced a challenge shared by many centers in higher education: how do we reconnect students not just to campus but also to one another? How do we encourage them to connect simultaneously with their individual sense of purpose and the communities they come from?

Our director, Josmell Perez, challenged me to think beyond virtual events and consider how we might build something new and something deeper to support the leadership development of student leaders at Carolina and beyond. I remembered a session I attended years ago at a national conference, where presenters asked: What does leadership look like through a Latino lens? That question stuck with me, and I had used it as inspiration for a one-hour training for our student leaders in my previous role. But for this new audience at the Carolina Latinx Center, I thought, what if we brought that lens to life through a series of workshops centered on Latino leadership stories?

That first November, we partnered with Kevin Ortiz, a first-year MBA student at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, who had an idea for a statewide leadership development network for undergraduate students. Kevin’s experience designing leadership development programs and participating in other fellowship programs inspired him to design adaptive leadership skills in others. After seeing where our visions overlapped, we facilitated a one-day event where UNC students came to share space, reflect on identity, and connect with peer leaders. By the end of the day, students weren’t just thankful, they were asking, “When’s the next one?”

That single event evolved into LÍDER: Carolina Leadership Institute, a yearlong, cohort- based fellowship program for undergraduate students across North Carolina’s universities and community colleges. “LÍDER” (which means “leader” in Spanish and Portuguese) originally stood for Leadership, Identity, Development, Engagement, and Resilience. These core values shaped the program’s design. When we moved from the day-long session to the year-round model, we dropped the acronym but kept the same moniker. Since 2022, LÍDER has welcomed 77 students from nine institutions, and in fall 2026 we plan to proudly welcome our 100th LÍDER fellow.

The program is grounded in a simple yet powerful belief: that leadership is most transformational when it is culturally rooted, emotionally intelligent, and community driven. LÍDER builds those capacities through an intentional curriculum of in-person retreats, team-building challenges, adaptive leadership frameworks, and cultural enrichment experiences. Fellows participate in six sessions per year, including a ropes course, reflective workshops, and a cohort trip to the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The curriculum includes panels with professionals working in public policy, nonprofit leadership, and higher education. These are all spaces where representation still matters deeply.

LÍDER is more than just a résumé booster. It is a space where students can pause, reflect, and ask: Who am I as a leader? Where does my voice come from? What kind of leader do I want to be for my community?

Each session focuses on developing specific leadership competencies, including:

•Relationship and Team Building

•Managing Conflict with Compassion

•Strategic Awareness and Frameworks

•Public Speaking and Personal Branding

•Cultural Enrichment and Identity Exploration

We introduce tools like the PESTEL framework, the KIVA dialogue process, and True Colors leadership styles, and we also make space for storytelling, healing, and joy. In our most recent cohort, a student shared that LÍDER helped her “embrace the power of the word yes” and taught her that “being my authentic self, even though it’s hard, is worth it.”

Another fellow reflected, “This weekend made me realize that I have more potential than I thought. I’ve been doubting myself, but now I see how much I’ve grown.” Over and over again, students tell us that LÍDER gives them tools to manage burnout, navigate conflict, and lead with both courage and compassion.

We’ve seen the impact beyond our walls, too. Fellows have gone on to lead student organizations, organize policy summits, apply to graduate school, and mentor younger students on their campuses. We hear from alumni who now see themselves as agents of change, but not in some abstract future: they see it right now, in their classrooms, families, professional careers, and communities.

What makes LÍDER different is that it does not ask students to leave parts of themselves behind to lead. Instead, it affirms their whole selves: multilingual, multicultural, brilliant! It makes space for first-generation college students, undocumented students, transfer students, and everyone in between to see themselves not just as future leaders, but as current ones.

LÍDER has also had an impact on me and forced me into practicing what we preach. As we’ve expanded, our growth has been a direct reflection of the relationships we’ve nurtured and the communities that have invested in us. Partners like UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Bank of America, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino, Pepco Holdings, ALPFA’s DC Chapter, Truist Bank, UNC’s Peers for Progress grant, and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation have all played a role—whether by sharing their time, expertise, or financial support.

These are just some of the many people and organizations who make LÍDER possible. From university staff who help us reserve spaces to colleagues who lend a hand or share a resource when we need it most, this program is built on the generosity of many. Their belief in our mission has allowed us to create meaningful, sustained experiences for our fellows. In turn, our students learn a key leadership lesson: community is one of the most valuable forms of capital we have.

As the program continues to grow, we remain grounded in our purpose: to cultivate adaptive, culturally responsive leaders who are connected to their communities and confident in their voice. We know that leadership is not a title, it’s a practice. And it’s one that must be sustained with care, reflection, and is done best in community.

At a time when conversations about leadership often lean toward metrics and outcomes, LÍDER offers a counter-narrative. One that values presence, not just performance, process over perfection, and people over prestige. We look forward to welcoming our fourth and largest cohort this fall and are already planning for the fifth. As one of our students beautifully put it, “We are already leaders—we just needed a space to remember who we are.”

About the author

Marcela Torres-Cervantes, M.Ed. (she/her/hers) is the Associate Director for the Carolina Latinx Center and a dedicated leader in higher education with nearly 10 years of experience building innovative programs and fostering sustainable practices. Passionate about creating inclusive spaces and advancing equity, Marcela’s work centers on collaboration and community connection.