Maryland Made Wraps Up Leadership Academy, Reflects on New Learned Skills

Maryland Made recently wrapped up its five-week Leadership Academy, helping select student-athletes grow their communication, self-awareness, and leadership styles. 

“The Leadership Academy taught me what it means to bring your best self to a team, and how you can use that to bring up everyone around you,” track and field’s Calvin Killagon said. “The skills I learned from this program have taught me to operate with confidence when it comes to leading any team with a common goal, and I can’t wait to bring what I learned to not only the Maryland track team, but life as a whole going forward.”

This year’s “Built to Lead” theme served as a tool to remind the student-athletes that there are no shortcuts to building a house; they must build the foundation brick by brick.

“‘Built to Lead’ made me realize that leadership is something you build over time,” field hockey’s Feliz Kuhne said. “Each of my bricks represents a value I want to lead with: respect, fairness, inclusion, and diversity help me create a team where everyone feels valued. Confidence, courage, and adventure push me to step up and take initiative. And through authenticity, understanding, uplifting others, and effective communication, I try to build a positive environment where everyone can grow together. I’m grateful for this experience and excited to take these bricks with me as I continue building my leadership outside of this program.”

The Maryland Made Leadership Academy was a five-week program focused on developing value-driven student-athlete leaders through intentional personal growth. Participants progressed through three phases—building the foundation by defining their values, purpose, and leadership identity; building the team through inclusive leadership and effective communication; and building the legacy by applying leadership skills to everyday actions on the field, in the classroom, and in life.

“My favorite memory from the past five weeks at the Maryland Made Leadership Academy was working with a group of student-athletes from different sports at Maryland,” women’s lacrosse’s Kayla Gilmore said. “It was a great experience to meet new people and hear about their different perspectives. Throughout the program, we talked about leadership, teamwork, and effective communication. I enjoyed the discussions and activities because they helped me think more about what it means to be a strong leader. Being able to share ideas and learn from other student-athletes made the experience really meaningful and memorable for me.”

In the first session of the Leadership Academy, participants dove into the core concepts of leadership, focusing on personal core values, leadership styles, and self-awareness. They explored how values shape leadership through a Value Sorting Exercise, where they selected key values that resonate with their leadership approach.

Session 2 featured the Real Colors® Personality Type Test, facilitated by Jaide Hinds-Clarke, which provided student-athletes in the Leadership Academy with essential skills to navigate the complexities of human behavior, improve communication, and enhance teamwork and leadership capabilities. The framework is based on four distinct personality types, each represented by a color: Gold, Green, Blue, and Orange. These colors are intuitive and easy to understand, helping participants quickly identify their own behavioral preferences and better recognize the motivations and communication styles of those around them.

“There’s something powerful about spending intentional time with student-athletes who are actively choosing to grow as leaders,” Hinds-Clarke said. “These student-athletes are leaders in their locker rooms, classrooms, and communities. Creating space for them to better understand themselves and each other is always an honor!”

The third session focused on helping student-athletes understand the role of being a leader in making everyone feel seen and heard. Through interactive activities such as identity exploration and scenario-based discussions, participants reflected on how their backgrounds and perspectives shape how they lead and interact with others. Small group conversations challenged them to think critically about creating environments where everyone feels valued and able to contribute.

“During the Leadership Academy, I found the inclusivity session to be the most impactful,” track and field’s Bryce Hatcher said. “This challenged me to lead within, as I had to reflect on how my upbringing and values shape how I interact with others. The conversation around inclusivity is crucial to fostering a positive team dynamic and creating open spaces where everyone can feel heard. This experience helped me realize that leadership comes from within and that being more intentional about listening to others is key.”

In Week 4 of the Leadership Academy, the focus shifted to enhancing participants' communication and public speaking skills. The session helped students practice delivering short, impactful speeches that reflect their leadership journey, integrating the concepts they've explored in previous weeks — such as values, emotional intelligence, and inclusivity — while educating them on the importance of articulating a clear message as the vocal leader.

“The Leadership Academy opened my eyes to all the different aspects of leadership,” baseball’s James Gladden said. “Whether it’s being a vocal leader or leading by the values you demonstrate and exemplify day in and day out, the people who optimize all of these spectacles of leadership are the best leaders and oftentimes have the best teams, and I aspire to be one of these people myself.”

To tie it all together, the Leadership Academy wrapped up with scenario-based discussion and tangible takeaways to ensure that the student-athletes left the academy knowing exactly how to apply what they learned over the five weeks to everyday life. Whether it be sport, school, or work, the Terps will be equipped with the tools and strategies to be leaders in any environment.

“I would tell other student-athletes to take the time to learn who they are before trying to lead others,” men’s lacrosse’s Trey Brown said. “Understanding your 'why', strengths, and weaknesses helps you lead in a more energetic and confident way. When you know your values you can positively affect and grow your leadership through the team.”

The academy equipped student-athletes with tangible tools to live the standard and lead with confidence beyond the program. Maryland Made’s Colby Wilson helped organize the workshops and events, and loved the growth he saw throughout the five weeks.

"What stood out most to me was the willingness of these student-athletes to lean into the uncomfortable moments that come with real growth,” Wilson said. “They were open, vulnerable, and intentional about developing as leaders. Over the five weeks, you could see their confidence grow and their voices become stronger. Watching them take what they learned and begin applying it in real situations has been incredibly inspiring."