2025–2026
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Are you looking to enhance your leadership capacity to help you succeed both personally and professionally? Outstanding students in any undergraduate program in at least their junior year at Wright State can apply to be a part of Ascend Leadership Academy.
Created by the Raj Soin College of Business, the Ascend Leadership Academy offers events every month of the academic year to help you gain confidence and awareness of your leadership potential, now and as you move into a career.
The curriculum has been developed with the aim of helping students in every major be better equipped to become leaders in their chosen professions through:
Aspiration: Encourage leaders to aspire to greatness and set high goals for themselves and others.
Skillfulness: Foster a desire in leaders to continually improve, along with offering opportunities to put skills into practice.
Character: Support the intention of leaders to continually develop character to have sound decision-making judgment.
Energy: Cultivate energy in leaders to create positive change in the Dayton region, maintaining enthusiasm and engagement in various activities.
Networking: Enable leaders to build a strong professional network in the Dayton region, connecting with others to share knowledge and resources.
Development: Empower leaders to engage in continuous self-reflection and learning to be intentional about their development over time.
Outcomes of the ProgramWhether you’re an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in the middle, the Ascend Leadership Academy will enable you to embark on a meaningful journey of self-discovery and create sustainable positive change. By the end of the program, you can:
Academy members are required to participate in at least seven of the development sessions listed below to quality for the non-credit-bearing Ascend Leadership Academy certificate:
Learning Focus:
Leadership training, team-building exercises
Activities:
Off-campus overnight stay at Camp Kern, ice-breaker activities, low ropes courses, ziplines, bonfire, and more.
Learning Focus:
How to Work with Everyone—Challenges and Secrets of Knowing Yourself, and Leading for Success
Activities:
Self-assessments and impactful conversations
Learning Focus:
Serving, Leading, and Making a Difference in Your Community
Activities:
Networking, workshop with other young professionals, community service opportunities
Learning Focus:
Understanding Bias and Cultural Differences
Activities:
Panel discussion, case study, meaningful conversations
Learning Focus:
The Leader You are Becoming
Activities:
Self-assessments and guest leadership speakers
Learning Focus:
Leading in Dayton: Health Care and Defense
Activities:
Panel presentations and field experiences off-site at Miami Valley Hospital and Calamityville
Learning Focus:
Career Success in an Era of Technological Disruption
Activities:
Workshops, discussions, mentorship, and guest leadership speakers
Learning Focus:
Making a Difference in Your Community
Activities:
Community service off campus, industry guest speakers
Learning Focus:
Personal Success and Graduation
Activities:
Self-assessments, panel discussions
Interested in joining during the 2025–2026 academic year? Email invitations will be sent during June to students who meet the GPA requirement. Simply reply to that email that you’re in! If you have questions, please contact Rachel Sturm, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Raj Soin College of Business.
Not sure if you want to join or what you’ll gain from this experience? Hear from students from our first cohort about how the Ascend Leadership Academy enhanced their skills and connections:
“I have loved growing as a leader through the Ascend Leadership Academy. It’s been incredible to be intentionally selected to collaborate with amazing people who are equally passionate about personal development. Dr. Sturm has done a fantastic job curating impactful experiences that help us learn and grow. I also appreciate the opportunity to explore topics not typically covered in other classes. The monthly meetings are low time commitment but high impact, allowing me to expand my network with local business leaders and other driven students.”
–Senior Business Management Major with Pre-med Studies Concentration
“The Ascend Leadership Academy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is so much more than a program—It is a community of like-minded individuals who strive to be great and lift each other up. The resources and networking opportunities are invaluable. Each session has taught me something new and changed the way I think and show up as a leader. I’ve learned team building, how to problem solve, and navigate challenging situations. I’ve learned how to be a better communicator. World class leaders and entrepreneurs in the Dayton area have shared best practices and taught me how to deal with adversity.”
–Senior International Business Major
“The Leadership Academy has given me perspective and understanding of myself, personally and professionally. Each month having a different topic to focus on exposed me to more new and beneficial information as I continue on my leadership journey. The tie to the Dayton business community and information about local resources and networking opportunities is priceless for me as I am nearing graduation and looking for future employment.”
–Senior Organizational Leadership Major
“From the very start, we were thrown into team-bonding exercises and pushed out of our comfort zones, which created a space where we could connect on a deeper level much faster than if we had just followed a traditional, instruction-based format. By the end of it, I didn’t just leave with knowledge—I left with a sense of belonging and a group of people I truly consider friends. It was a completely different feeling than walking away from a typical classroom, where those kinds of connections rarely form. This experience really touched me and showed me how powerful it can be to dive in.”
–Senior Dual Major Psychology and Organizational Leadership and Military Veteran
“The Ascend Leadership Academy has enabled me to assess and improve my leadership abilities, making me a better leader and person overall. It also connected me to organizations and people I will encounter again. It has offered me unforgettable experiences that I will always cherish and has equipped me with additional tools in my leadership toolkit, helped me achieve new goals, and supported me on this life journey."
–Senior Organizational Leadership Major
Finding the right college means finding the right fit. See all that the Raj Soin College of Business has to offer by visiting campus.
