Senior Lacy Burke was selected as the first recipient of the Todd and Teresa Calamita Leadership Scholarship

As a result of her excellent commitment to the Emerging Leaders program, lead peer mentor Lacy Burke was selected as the Todd and Teresa Calamita Leadership Scholarship recipient.

Lacy Burke, senior from Albany, Ohio, and lead peer mentor for the College of Business’s Emerging Leaders program, was selected as the first recipient of the Todd and Teresa Calamita Leadership Scholarship based on her outstanding commitment to the organization, demonstration of leadership skills, and dependability. This scholarship will be given to the Emerging Leaders program’s lead peer mentor each year.

Emerging Leaders is a one-year accelerated development program with the goal of encouraging current College of Business sophomores and incoming juniors to achieve their potential as a leader. The program strives to strengthen the intrapersonal skills and professional skill sets of its members, while mentoring them to realize their maximum leadership potential.

"The mantra of Emerging Leaders is investing yourself; inspire others; impact the world," said Dr. Andrew Pueschel, the director of the Emerging Leaders program. “The Calamita family represents what Emerging Leaders is all about and the continued legacy of the Calamita Leadership Scholarship will encourage our current students and alumni to continue their own leadership journey while serving their organizations and communities to positively shape the world we live in."

In creating a scholarship, the Calamitas wanted to support future leaders who are focused on learning skills that will help them better the world of business. They found that opportunity through the Emerging Leaders program.

“Leadership is a quality that can be learned and constantly improved upon throughout your lifetime.Too many leaders lead with left brain thinking and conversations,” said Todd and Teresa Calamita, the scholarship donors. “The Emerging Leaders program is developing true leaders of tomorrow by training students on right brain thinking like utilizingempathyand emotionalintelligence. We are thrilled to support such a worthwhile endeavor that fosters skills that are often absent in corporate America.”

Shawnee Meek, the assistant director of the Emerging Leaders program, said one of the ways members are developing their leadership skills is through their philanthropic activities. Members work within the community each semester, dedicating their time and resources. In addition, peer mentors also meet with students in the program regularly to help them grow personally and professionally.

“Todd and Teresa Calamita truly embody the philanthropic spirit, and they demonstrate that giving doesn’t end in college. We feel blessed to have cultivated this relationship with the Calamitas,” Meek said. “We couldn’t be prouder of our first recipient, Lacy Burke. No leader is more deserving than her.”

Burke is studying management information systems, business analytics, and business economics, with minors in coaching education and economics. Her dedication to the Emerging Leaders program began her junior year when she served as vice president for recruitment, allowing her to build the next generation of leaders. She was then appointed to serve as the lead peer mentor, leading a cohort of five peer mentors and 40 leaders. As a lead peer mentor, she has had a positive impact on the curriculum and many professional development opportunities.

“I can confidently say, I am a completely different version of myself because of the Emerging Leaders program — a more authentic, confident, and outgoing version,” Burke said. “The personal and professional growth from a single year with Emerging Leaders is astronomical. I had the honor of coming back to the program as lead peer mentor and in this position, I not only get to help the next class of Emerging Leaders, but I also get to use the skills I learned in the program in a different way.”

After she earns her bachelor’s degree from OHIO in May, she will be continuing her education as a graduate student. While she has two offers so far, she has not yet made a decision as to where she will pursue graduate studies. After earning her master’s degree, she plans to work as a data analyst for the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), where she is currently interning.

“I am thoroughly honored to have been recognized for the Todd and Teresa Calamita Leadership Scholarship as the first recipient, and I know the positive impact this award will have on future lead peer mentors,” Burke said.