Mayor Yemi visits Chancellor’s Leadership Class scholars
On Wednesday, February 21, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade visited 30 scholars of the Chancellor’s Leadership Class (CLC). This event took place in the immediate aftermath of the incident that took place on the UCCS campus on February 16, and marked the first time the mayor had spoken on campus since the press conference addressing the tragedies that occurred on campus during the previous week.
Other attendees included UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet and Jenifer Furda, UCCS Director of Partnerships, Governmental Affairs & Military Liaison.
Mayor Yemi and Chancellor Sobanet expressed their shared admiration and support for one another in the wake of the tragic student deaths that occurred the week prior.
Following a group photo, Mayor Yemi spoke for 15 minutes about his leadership journey, addressing his approach to leading through crisis and offering some leadership advice he has for young professionals.
Mayor Yemi also gave insight into his own leadership style, as well as his vision for Colorado
Springs and the values he leads with. He shared experiences of getting involved in the Colorado Springs community through service when he first moved here and how much opportunity and connection that opened for him. He encouraged our students to practice the same kind of intentionality towards their own communities.
He also shared the story of his election, and how his values were challenged by the campaign and the expectations of someone in his position. He was encouraged to run a smear campaign on his competitors, in response to the smear campaigns they were running on him. He expressed the need to stand firm and believe that if the community wanted a leader like him, he had to continue to act like that leader. As such, he did not engage in any smear campaigns and was still elected as the current Colorado Springs mayor.
The evening concluded with the mayor answering prepared questions from the CLC scholars.
The Chancellor’s Leadership Class is the premier, merit-based leadership scholarship program at UCCS. The program supports the professional development of approximately 40 undergraduate students, who complete leadership studies coursework, applied service experiences, community-building activities, mentoring experiences and more.
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