Two women walk into a restaurant in Boulder for Taco Tuesday and sit at the bar. The place is noisy, crowded and filled with the aroma of beer and fried corn tortillas. Over chips and salsa, they start talking about ways they can help make the world a better place, starting with Boulder County.
Shiquita Yarbrough, Leadership Fellows, Class 2016-17: Were you excited about being a part of Leadership Fellows?
Maegan Vallejo, Leadership Fellows, Class 2017-18: I was excited to be selected to participate in the program, because I’m always impressed by the Fellows alums that I’ve met. I want to be more involved in the community—not quite sure how yet—but I think that Fellows can help me figure some of that out. See where I can plug in.
MV: You mentioned you hesitated to join Leadership Fellows. Can you share more about why?
SY: I was hesitant in joining fellows, because I wasn’t sure if I had enough time to commit to the program.
MV: What were/are the biggest benefits for you from Leadership Fellows?
SY: Some of the biggest benefits for me from the program were networking and becoming more knowledgeable about what my community needs and how I can be a part of the solution. Also, learning that there are so many people that do many little actions to make wonderful things happen.
MV: What would you tell other people who might be hesitant about joining?
SY: I feel like those people have to be passionate about change in their community first, but then understand that learning from our community also provides growth and can develop them into being a catalyst in our society.
SY: How do you feel like you will benefit from Leadership Fellows?
MV: I think one of the biggest benefits is having access to community leaders from all sectors—government, for-profit, nonprofit. They not only present insightful information, but agree to meet for coffee with any one of us. I also like learning about what other Fellows are working on, because there are such varied, interesting projects. If I can help connect them to other people working on similar things, I like to do that. There’s power in numbers.
SY: What did you think of the selected participants?
MV: The participants are an interesting mix of people. There are people who are already really active in their community—sitting on boards, running for political positions—and there are also people who are just starting down this road, trying to figure out what they’d like to do. Some of us may have never interacted with each other if it weren’t for Fellows, which I love because it makes us step outside our social circles and (hopefully) learn from someone who may not share my same views.
SY: Do you feel like everyone is genuine in wanting to make a difference in their community?
MV: We all read the description of the program and sign the same agreement about applying for a leadership position after we graduate Fellows, so it’s hard for me to imagine that someone’s not genuine in wanting to make a difference. There are other professional development opportunities out there that don’t involve a diversity and inclusion lens, but these folks picked this program for a reason. Even if someone went into Fellows not really knowing what to expect, I don’t think you can graduate 11 months later and not have a better understanding of what it means to be an inclusive leader.
SY: So far, what changes would you make to any part of Leadership Fellows?
MV: We need more time! Half a day is not enough to cover these big topics sometimes. I like how there are more social opportunities this year, happy hours and lunches, to meet with current Fellows and alums.
MV: Is there anything that you would change?
SY: I would also add more time to connect and discuss about the impact of the meeting and speakers’ comments.
SY: Do you think you will run for political office one day?
MV: I don’t know yet. I think I’d like to help on someone’s campaign first, do a little more behind the scenes work.
MV: Same question—do you think you’d run?
SY: Not sure if I will ever run for anything but, if there is a need and if I am capable, I guess I will have to.
MV: What things would you like to change about this county?
SY: I think there’s work to do here. I would like people in Boulder County to be respectful and mindful about how beautiful we all are and that, just because some people are considered to be different, doesn’t mean we are not human. I believe love is the common denominator of power, equity, respect and compassion for all.
Since 2009, Leadership Fellows Boulder County – a joint leadership development and networking program of the Community Foundation and the Boulder Chamber of Commerce – has offered emerging leaders a broadly-based overview of Boulder County’s economic, civic and cultural drivers. Graduates of the program commit to taking on local leadership roles within six months of completing the program.
More stories about Leadership Fellows Boulder County
