An Early L.E.A.P Into Character

When incoming first-year students begin L.E.A.P., our pre-orientation program, they’re asked one question: “Who do you want to be?” L.E.A.P., which stands for Leadership, Ethics, and Purpose, helps new students integrate with our Program and the university through workshops, guided reflections, and team-building activities. The four-day pre-orientation Program is led by Assistant Director of Programming Jazz Logan in collaboration with the Office of Leadership Engagement. Drawing on her experience as a staff member in Residence Life and Housing and an Admissions Counselor, Logan used students’ feedback about seeking community to help create L.E.A.P in 2023. “Outside of teaching students about how to lead with character, I wanted them to know that they can belong at Wake Forest as soon as they step on campus,” says Logan. 

The two main themes of L.E.A.P. are belonging and becoming. During the pre-orientation, students hear from guest speakers and reflect on their virtues and values and the meaning of life. “We give students who are away from home, some of them for the first time, an opportunity to connect with one another and to start thinking deeply about what they want their life to be about,” says Logan. L.E.A.P. also serves as a gateway into the Program for many students, including several Leadership and Character Ambassadors. “I think that the best part about L.E.A.P is that they truly find community,” says Logan.

Although L.E.A.P. is designed for first-year students, returning students also have an opportunity to help as peer orientation leaders known as “Leapders.” They are responsible for facilitating small-group discussions while offering guidance, support, and resources for first-year students. To keep students engaged after L.E.A.P., Logan sends monthly emails about programming opportunities on campus and organizes a reunion where students can reconnect and discuss their college experience over doughnuts. Going forward, Logan envisions a future for L.E.A.P. that is more student-led, giving students opportunities to learn and gain leadership experience. “My hope is that it truly becomes a co-created endeavor with students that they feel invested in and can really take ownership of,” she says.