Such an incredible privilege to have interacted with the Knight Hennessy Scholars team at the “Leading Others – Leading Yourself” networking event which was held in New York City.
As I am exploring my PhD options, with a keen interest in the Stanford Media Psychology program, I took the time to go learn from the founder and management team of the Knight Hennessy Scholarship – what the core principles of the scholarship are, and if the scholarship aligns with my personal development needs.
As a social entrepreneur, I was also deeply interested in how the scholarship is operationalised – and wanted to draw inspiration on how we can create a smilar initiative at a smaller scale for talented and less privileged youth in Africa.
Knight Hennesy Scholars Event
LEADING OTHERS – LEADING YOURSELF
A talk by John Hennessy and Tina Seelig.
Inspiring leadership is the goal of Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS) as they equip Stanford graduate students from across the university to create positive change in the world. We got a special opportunity to hear from John Hennessy, co-founder and Shriram Family Director, and Tina Seelig, Executive Director, of Knight-Hennessy Scholars.
Dr. Hennessy shared the core elements of leadership that helped him as President of Stanford University and in leadership roles in Silicon Valley, and Dr. Seelig, innovation and entrepreneurship educator, spoke to we (as young people) can do to lead our own lives in a way that enriches our career and our relationships.We also heard from Rachel Rosten, KHS Director of Admission, who provided a brief overview of Knight-Hennessy Scholars.
I found the event quite valuable. John spoke a lot on the value of servant leadership, while Tina touched a bit on personal development and management. I was particularly quite taken (as a public speaker myself) by their speaking and presentation abilities, something I am absolutely certain is a result of decades of experience in teaching.
Before the event began, I had a chance to speak with Dr. Hennesy, introducing him to the work of my companies in Africa, and sharing more about my work in the U.S., and aspirations to further my studies.
I was also drawn to Tina, who if anybody knew the both of us would conclude we are the same person in different seasons of a life. Tina authored “What I wish I knew When I was 20“, which is quite similar to my first book “By The End of Your Teens“. She has also worked in the first of innovation and creativity, much like myself, albeit she has had far more experience in this industry than I have. She detailed her experience applying for a job at Stanford which she felt was below her qualifications, something I deeply relate to as I pivoted from management in my companies to take up a job as a junior professional in New York.
I learnt so much, and it was such a great way to spend my evening. I will soon share a video (with their words and mine) so you too can learn more about the Knight Hennessy Scholarship.
About the Author
