Author: Kylie Overly

LeaderShape® – Making Leaders for a More Just, Caring, and Thriving World!

Published January 30, 2026

At the end of the Fall 2025 semester, a group of Pavlis Honors College students was selected to attend Michigan Tech’s LeaderShape® Institute, hosted at the Ford Center in Alberta, MI. This institute is a 4-day-long retreat to help grow their leadership skills.

History of the Institute:

Participants during a group activity called Videre

The LeaderShape® Institute was founded in 1986 to engage participants in a transformative experience that will inspire them to create a more just, caring, and thriving world. The Institute allows participants to have time and space to have discussions with deeper meaning. These conversations, paired with guided instruction and challenges, allow participants to showcase their personal values in a community context.

The Institute is a 4-day experience that allows participants and facilitators to expand their leadership abilities using community examples. Students who attend the program expand their sense of community, learn their key values and connect their actions to their values, identify their leadership style, and learn how to properly work with the other leadership styles. What makes the retreat unique is the self-assessment, intense small group discussions, and team-building activities that curate an experience for participants to highlight their values in community-based topics.

“By leading with passion, integrity, and a healthy disregard for the impossible, participants explore who they are and the impact that they want to have on communities working towards a more caring, just, and equitable society”
LeaderShape®

The LeaderShape® Institute has continued to evolve and has been training leaders from our campus since 1996. To date, over 1,300 Huskies have participated in the program. The Institute takes place between the fall and spring semesters at the Ford Center in Alberta, MI.

Daily Activities & Staff:

Every day at the Institute, a new theme is chosen to build on the previous day and reflect the key leadership elements of vision, partnerships, integrity, and results. The days’ themes are:

Day One: Living and Leading with Integrity
Day Two: Challenging What Is, Looking to What Could Be
Day Three: The Value of One, The Power of All
Day Four: Living in Possibility

The Institute utilizes highly interactive program methods rather than classroom lectures. In this environment, everyone is a teacher, and everyone is a learner. Many of the activities engage the large group known as the Learning Community. Smaller groups, called Family Clusters, are also formed as a supportive, safe environment for personal reflection and the development of new skills, attitudes, and abilities.

“Everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner.”

The LeaderShape® Institute Fall 2025 staff

Meet the staff for the event in Fall 2025 and what they had to say about the event!

Program Coordinator

Cole Pierucki, Senior Coordinator for Student Leadership & Involvement

“In my role as LeaderShape® Program Coordinator at Michigan Tech, I had the honor of coordinating the 30th session of the Institute on our campus. When I stepped into my full-time position in June, I wasn’t deeply familiar with LeaderShape® beyond knowing that it had a long history at our institution, with over 1,300 Huskies graduating from the program across the previous 29 sessions. Once I experienced the program firsthand, it became immediately clear why it has endured for three decades and why 11 different campus departments and student organizations chose to sponsor a student’s participation fee. By observing the participant activities and building connections with those involved, I learned a great deal about myself and met some truly amazing people. I am incredibly grateful to the 37 wonderful students who participated, to LeaderShape® for partnering with us for 30 amazing years, to the dedicated Faculty Team who volunteered their time, and to the incredible Ford Center staff whose support made this experience possible.”

On-site Coordinators

Josie Towery, MTU Student, Psychology Major and Mathematical Sciences Minor

Matthew Echols, MTU Student, Psychology Major and Computer Science Minor

Cluster Facilitators

Destaney Sauls, Assistant Teaching Professor –

“LeaderShape® was a reminder that leadership isn’t about holding a title – it’s about acting with intention, values, and courage. Through the experience, I realized that the most meaningful way I lead is by connecting with people and building relationships.”

Jennifer Nish, Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Composition, Academy of Teaching Excellence –

“I had a great experience at LeaderShape®. It was wonderful to connect with the student and faculty participants outside of our usual settings on campus. The program is very well designed and an excellent opportunity for students to reflect on their values and cultivate leadership skills that will help them in many aspects of life.”

Micah Vacco, Senior Coordinator for Student Leadership & Involvement –

“LeaderShape® is an incredible opportunity for any student. As a staff member, I went in incredibly excited to see how the experience would shape my students. What I didn’t expect was to learn just as much—if not more—about myself. The program pushed me out of my comfort zone, allowed me to build meaningful relationships with students and peers I wouldn’t normally interact with, and created space for my own personal growth.”

Robert Handler, Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering; Affiliated Assistant Professor, CEGE and Social Sciences; and Faculty Advisor, Green Campus Enterprise –

“Attending the LeaderShape® Institute was a great opportunity to step back from the busyness of everyday life and take some time to focus on the what, why, and how of your life and work.”

Pavlis Student Reflections on LeaderShape®

From building new friendships to gaining clarity around values and goals, Pavlis Honors students consistently point to LeaderShape® as a formative experience. The testimonials below reflect how the institute creates space for self-reflection, collaboration, and leadership development that extends well beyond the program itself. In their own words:

“LeaderShape® was an experience. Going into it, I was expecting it to be yet another boring leadership retreat. But it wasn’t. It was a fun experience. I got to meet a lot of awesome new people; everyone who attended the event was actually trying to be a part of the program and learn from the program. I am glad I did it, and would always recommend it to others to do it too. #BOLDWORLD”
Wilson Inyang

“The LeaderShape® Institute provided a wonderful opportunity to develop my understanding of my motivations and career goals. The LeaderShape® programming provided guidance and a space supporting my development of essential skills for leadership and teamwork. I was also able to meet or strengthen relationships with a variety of great people, including the Facilitators and fellow participants. These interactions left me inspired and looking forward to the future.”
Niko Johnson

“LeaderShape® is like summer camp but in the winter with an incredible group of like-minded students! These four days were packed with engaging ice-breaker activities, team building, introspection and personality assessments, and so much more! My time at the LeaderShape® institute was invaluable and I would seriously recommend it to anyone who even remotely considers (or aspires to be) themselves a leader. My hope going into this institute was that I would leave with new connections – a network to work with so to say – to support me in all my future endeavors. And sure enough, one email later, I have a new undergraduate research position in a professor’s lab due to a connection made with a faculty member at LeaderShape®! I also walked away with many new friendships and leadership training that has already proven to be helpful in navigating conversations with my family, being a more effective leader in the clubs/orgs I lead, and overall just being a more confident and humble person simultaneously!”
Erin Holzinger

“LeaderShape® was an experience where the people got to bond incredibly well, along with learning different opinions, helping us be leaders. I can tell it exposes people to multiple ways of thinking and approaches to solutions for problems. The way you go about things is as important as the end result. It is important to always keep your team in mind. This was one of the few things we learned, along with enjoying the food there.”
Canaan Pohl

“LeaderShape® was a super cool retreat. Not only did I learn a lot about myself and how that translates into leadership, but I was able to make some new friends. The activities that they had us do were very enlightening to how people operate in groups, who takes charge, and how to channel that energy into accomplishing something productive. Overall, the event was worth my time, and I would recommend attending to anyone who wants to learn how to lead in an ever-changing world.”
Owen Brink

Pavlis Honors students at LeaderShape®, learning, connecting, and leading together

Tiny Tech Stories: A Glimpse Into Life at Tech

Published October 17, 2025

By Kylie Overly

In the HON 3150 class, students were challenged to create tiny stories — short, 100-word narratives inspired by their experiences as Michigan Tech students. Each story included a title and an image, and students were free to choose any topic that resonated with them.

The Story Behind the Assignment

When asked about the inspiration behind the assignment, Dr. Laura Fiss, faculty fellow in the Pavlis Honors College and associate teaching professor in Humanities, shared the story of how it came to be:

“I’ve loved reading the New York Times’ Modern Love column and its spin-off Tiny Love Stories for years, but it didn’t occur to me that I could use them in the classroom until a conference I attended in 2021,” said Dr. Fiss. “Nancy Sommers, whose work on revision I had taught, led a workshop that used the framework to help shape ‘tiny teaching stories.’ We wrote 100-word stories about teaching, shared them with peers for feedback, and then revised them.”

That experience sparked an idea.

“I had already been teaching HON 3150 for a while, and I liked the possibilities,” she explained. “In spring 2021, I was still teaching online, so I adapted the workshop into an in-class activity. It worked really well, so I introduced it as a take-home assignment the following fall.”

Over time, the assignment evolved.

“I think it was in fall 2021 when I had the idea of having students respond to each other in class,” Dr. Fiss said. “We created ‘story chains’—an adaptation of the ‘silent discussion’ activity I’d heard about in other classes, but more formal. I like that this assignment helps students get over some of the hump of writing about themselves. One hundred words is manageable, and it’s very pleasant for me to have students complaining that they need to cut rather than saying they don’t know how they’ll fill out 1,000 or 1,500 words!”

For the in-class portion of the activity, students paired up to share their original Tiny Tech Stories. Each student then created a response story to their partner’s, following the same 100-word limit and including a title. After sharing their responses, students switched partners and repeated the process — creating a web of interconnected stories and perspectives.

“I always enjoy reading the Tiny Tech Stories,” said Dr. Fiss. “It’s a way of connecting that’s a little different from a verbal conversation—and it tends to lead to interesting ones afterward!”

This creative, reflective assignment not only encourages concise storytelling but also builds connection and empathy among students. Through their tiny stories, Michigan Tech honor students share small but meaningful glimpses into life at Tech — one hundred words at a time.

Honors Students Share Their Tiny Tech Stories

One Step at A Time

by Madeline McRoberts

The journey started 3600 miles from home. The climb itself spanned 3560 ft. Backpack, snacks, water bladder? Check. The trail started off gradually, surrounded by cascading mountains dotted with fluffy white sheep. Steps grew larger as our group traversed the mountainside. Vibrant, green landscapes turned white as we were swallowed by the fog. Light breathing became heavy panting as the summit grew nearer. Large steps were replaced by climbing as the terrain difficulty increased. Signs led the way and boosted morale until the last step. At last, I straightened my back and took a deep breath. This was it: Snowdon.

Meeting the “Blue Blur”

by Aris Arvanetes

Nerds, Cosplay, Vendors, Videogames, and best of all celebrity voices! That’s one checkmark for the bucket list! My heart was pounding, both legs swaying my body back and forth, eyes couldn’t focus, and time felt too slow! The nervousness suddenly kicked in. What would he be like? Would he think I was cool to talk to? Would I be able to afford the prices for signing stuff or pictures? What should I say? And there I was standing face to face with the Blue Blur himself. Chill, positive, energetic, and way past cool! Everything just fell into the right place.

The Wary Traveler

by Shuang Gao

Week 0 at Michigan Tech, I joined one of my roommates Joe for lunch and sat with his friends. They shared a story about a late-night “traveler” who wandered into their room uninvited. At first, the silhouette by the bed seemed like a dream—until the traveler spilled bodily fluid (urine) across the carpet. Two hours of scrubbing later, Joe’s friend knew him much better than they wanted. Listening, I realized college isn’t just classes and roommates, it’s also the unpredictable encounters that become instant cautionary tales. The moral? Never leave your door unlocked at night. Some lessons arrive messier than others.

Oh Dearest Charlotte

by Connor Nunn

Though I have only been away from you for 2 months, the moment I pulled into the driveway by surprise coming home for thanksgiving break, I felt the typical weight of the old memories reminding me of why I push at MTU. Then I get hit with the weight of your little body running up to me, jumping up on to me and you wrapping your legs and arms around me in a much needed bear hug. Though it hurts to leave you, I have to remember why I went in the first place. That’s you.

An Exam that Doesn’t Count for Credit

by Jack Schall

Michigan Tech is far away from everything and has long difficult winters. The drive to get to campus is an exam that does not give any credit. Due to these hardships that most other college students don’t go through, there is a certain pride with going to college in the UP. Similar to how trades people say everybody else has soft hands, living in the UP can make a person laugh at most other college student’s winters. These hardships that all MTU students have to deal with to perform simple daily tasks are the key to the sense of community.

When I Learned to Write Down Exam Dates

by Andrew Stieve

In the second semester of my first year, things were going well. I was preparing for a Materials Science exam that night, and I had spent the last two evenings studying hard. After I finished my classes, I jokingly texted my friend asking if he was ready. I was not prepared for his response.

“It was yesterday.”

“WAIT WHAT!?” I replied.

In a panic, I wrote an email to my professor explaining the situation, hoping and praying that he would cut me some slack. Thankfully, he let me retake it. I then put all my future exams on my calendar.

Missing Them

by Kylie Overly

Coming to Tech was scary but I was excited. Moving 8 hours away from all that I knew for a fresh start at me. When I got here meeting new people was the easy part, getting over the homesickness was the hard part. For every new memory that I made there was a part of me that wished that someone from home was there too. Missing the little girls that I babysat, missing my little sister, missing my aunt. It will be ok I tell myself. You will see them soon.