Step One: Admission to Marian University: Be admitted by November 15th, of your senior year in high school. Step Two: Apply to the program
Marian Leadership Initiative
How to become a Marian Leadership Initiative Scholar
Our mission
Empowering transformational leaders who are trustworthy, healthy, inquisitive, and skilled rooted in our Franciscan values and equipped to inspire, elevate, and lead with purpose at Marian and beyond.
About the program
The Marian Leadership Initiative (MLI) is a comprehensive leadership education program designed to equip Marian University students with meaningful experiences, knowledge, and opportunities to become influential leaders in their communities and professions. Grounded in Marian’s Catholic Franciscan identity, MLI emphasizes servant leadership, ethical decision-making, and personal formation rooted in the values of service, compassion, and respect for others.
Through a combination of academic enrichment, leadership development, mentorship, and service-based learning, MLI prepares students to excel in their studies while developing the skills and character needed to lead with purpose—both during their time at Marian University and beyond.
The framework for the Marian Leadership Initiative includes four (4) distinct pillars:
TRUSTWORTHY
Practicing Franciscan Values and possessing a deep understanding of their ethical implications.
HEALTHY
Experiencing the practice of self-awareness and self-care focused on their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
INQUISITIVE
Demonstrating the ability to solve problems in an inquisitive, thoughtful, creative, and informed manner, along with exhibiting a high degree of proficiency in their disciplinary area and in their application of their learn expertise.
SKILLED
Applying exceptional listening, writing, reading, critical thinking, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills to build and sustain relationships within college and beyond.
What to Expect
- Leadership courses
- Community engagement
- Speaker series workshops
- Senior Take Action Project: All MLI Scholars will complete a capstone project in their area of study that exemplifies their leadership skills.
Transformational Leadership Conference
MLK Day, Monday, January 19, 2026, Michael A. Evans Center
Marian University will host its seventh annual Transformational Leadership Conference this spring on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 19, 2026. We invite all students, staff, faculty, and community members to participate in this exciting, transformative experience.
Registration is now open! Please click here to register.
Check-in is at 8:00 a.m., with service projects taking place in the morning and conference sessions in the afternoon. The day will end around 4:00 p.m.
- This is a free event and is open to all MU students, regardless of major and year.
- A continental breakfast and lunch are provided.
- Giveaways for students.
- Attending a conference is a great resume-builder and an opportunity to grow in your leadership.
- Speakers are committed to helping students advance their personal and professional leadership goals. Sessions are designed to help students achieve their leadership potential.
Conference Theme & Sessions
Our 2026 conference theme is Rooted in Healthy Leadership, for students ready to place burnout and short-term fixes with sustainable, values-centered practices. Through interactive workshops, evidence-based sessions, and peer-powered conversations, we explore emotional intelligence, boundary-setting, team wellbeing, and ethical decision-making. Participants will gain practical tools, a clear action plan, and a supportive network to help them lead with greater clarity, resilience, and impact.
Our keynote session will be with Nora Zarvos of Zarvos Leadership & Coaching. There will be 3 breakout sessions featuring Amanda Bonilla, David Gibson, and Laura Henderson over the following topics.
- Nourish to Lead: An 8-Ingredient Strategy for Transformation
- Recipes were once prescriptions for healing, and just like nourishing food supports a healthy body, intentional practices support transformative leadership. In this workshop, we’ll explore an eight-ingredient “recipe” for transforming your health, your life, and your leadership. Participants will receive a hands-on workbook and eight simple, bite-size practices to help create meaningful personal change and transformational leadership skills.
- It Starts with You
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Are you operating at your full potential as a leader? Whether you're aware of it or not, you have the power to impact those around you. Impactful leadership is far greater than a title or a position; it’s more about influencing change. You're not just reacting to the world around you…You're intentionally shaping it.
In this session, we will explore how to consciously and confidently own the influence that you have. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, you'll learn how to discover the leader within you, how to become more intentional with how you show up in the world, and how to inspire others to take action.
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Developing Emotional Intelligence for Effective Leadership
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This workshop focuses on emotional intelligence (EI), a critical skill for effective leaders. We'll delve into the four components of EI: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Students will learn how to recognize and manage their own emotions, empathize with others, and build stronger relationships, all of which are essential for inspiring and leading a team.
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Accessibility & Accommodations
Marian University strives to create a welcoming and accessible environment for our students, faculty, staff, and guests. If there are certain accommodations or support you need access to for active engagement in this event, please let us know in your registration form or reach out to Marisa at mzambrano@marian.edu.
Attire
Dress for the day is casual due to the volunteer projects in the morning.
Special Thanks
Thank you to the many departments who help plan and facilitate this event, including: Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine, University Ministry, the Marian Leadership Initiative, Student Success and Engagement, and the Unity Center.
MLK Transformational Leadership and Service Conference Schedule
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:15-9 a.m. | Check-In & Breakfast: Evans Center |
| 9 a.m. | Prayer & Travel to Service Sites |
| 9:30-11:30 a.m. | Volunteer at Service Sites |
| 11:30 a.m. | Return to Campus |
| 12 p.m. |
Lunch: Evans Center |
Irorobeje Crystal Owhoso-Maddox, Director of K-12 School and Community Programs & Angelica Smith, Director of the Unity Center & Multicultural Affairs at Marian University
This interactive workshop uses the metaphor of planting a mustard seed to guide participants in developing a personal leadership philosophy rooted in faith, intentionality, courage, and the right environment. Grounded in Matthew 17:20, students will explore how small, intentional steps can lead to impactful growth. Through hands-on activities and reflection, they will leave with a clear understanding of their leadership potential and a tangible reminder to nurture their growth
Jeff Kaufman, Ph.D., Director of Organizational Leadership Doctoral Program, Klipsch Educators College
What does it mean to be responsible for a team, group, or organization regarding addressing the nagging challenges they face? What is your role? Coronal is to briefly explore the responsibilities of formal authority roles concerning defining the work and creating space for the group or team to do that work.
Bwana Clements, MSW, Social worker, consultant, program developer and community voice
Breaking Generational Curses: Addressing Health and Wellbeing will explore cultural and family ways of being that have been perpetuated for generation that may in fact be barriers to success without knowing it. Taking an honest look at our physical, relational and emotional health through the lens of culture to better understand why were think, feel and behave the way we do will provide keys to unlocking future success in our lives.
| 12:30 p.m. | Lunch Panel Keynote |
| 1:40 p.m. | Breakout Session #1 |
| 2:35 p.m. | Breakout Session #2 |
| 3:30 p.m. | Breakout Session #3 |
| 4:30 p.m. | End of Conference |
Contact
Marisa Zambrano
Executive Director, Marian Leadership Initiative
317.955.6356 or mzambrano@marian.edu
