Established in 2020 to honor the life of former Trustee and MKA Parent, Philip McNeal, the Philip McNeal Leadership Program seeks to deepen the conversation on the topic of ethical leadership and help MKA students identify their own unique leadership style in order to best prepare for college and the world beyond. 

On September 14, student leaders met virtually and participated in the first of what will be an annual Student Leadership Retreat. Participants were welcomed to the evening session by Tri-Campus Chair of Integrated Ethics and Upper School Dean of Student Life Kerry Verrone who asked participants “to reimagine what’s possible when it comes to student life at MKA.” She continued, “This program will allow us to reconnect throughout the year, as well as bring programming to a broader audience to think about who we are as a school, our values, and what it means to be a ‘good’ leader.”

After hearing from keynote speaker Reshma Saujani, Founder of Girls Who Code, students attended 30 minute workshops each hosted by Tristan Love, Director of Learning and Engagement with Project Wayfinder, Seema Pothini, Lead Equity Specialist at Equity Literacy Institute, and Kobi Yamada, bestselling author. The evening was an incredible opportunity to bring four impactful leaders, thinkers, educators, and social justice warriors together with students to share their stories, perspectives, and the lessons they’ve learned.

For more information, please visit www.mka.org/pmlp.