Shucker Fellows Program

An initiative of the Shucker Center for Leadership Development, the Shucker Fellows Program is a two-year, application-based engaged learning experience designed to help first and second-year students:

Grow the leadership skills and attitudes in demand by today’s employers
Feel confident in their ability to be change-makers at Furman and beyond
Cultivate relationships necessary for growth and development as emerging leaders

In keeping with the Furman Advantage, the Shucker Fellows Program strives to give our fellows high-impact experiences and opportunities to engage with the Furman and greater Greenville communities.

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Thinking about becoming a Shucker Fellow?

The mission of the Shucker Fellows Program is to direct first-year and sophomore Fellows on a path that allows them to be catalysts for change at Furman, in the Greenville community, and as alumni. We do this by encouraging and empowering students to explore the passions, strengths, and values that make them unique; experience personal, professional, and team-based contexts for leadership development.

New Fellows (First Year)

Each year, about 20-30 new students are selected to be Shucker Leadership Fellows. During the first year, New Fellows participate in interactive weekly sessions as a cohort. Each week’s session focuses on a different key principle of exemplary leadership and there are opportunities for reflection, engaging discussion, and time to practice with one another. The first year focuses primarily on helping students uncover who they are as leaders and how that knowledge can be leveraged in group and team settings.

Our New Fellows meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Sophomore Fellows (Second Year)

During their first semester of their second year, Sophomore Fellows continue to develop their skills as they learn about leadership on the societal or community level through continued weekly sessions. In their second semester, Fellows have an opportunity to integrate their Shucker experiences and individual passions into a Leadership Capstone Project. Through this project, they will work to identify and solve a problem within the Furman or Greenville communities.

Our Sophomore Fellows meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Meet the Fellows

Our program is prestigious with a competitive application process.

Thank you for your interest in the Shucker Fellows Program!

As you consider applying for the program, we ask that you keep the following details in mind:

Qualifications:

You must be an incoming Furman University undergraduate student (i.e. First-Year student or Transfer Sophomore) of any major
Students must be available for a weekly meeting ranging from 1-2 hours a week, plus additional sporadic programming events throughout the semester
You must submit a digital application
A completed recommendation form is required to be considered for the program. Your recommendation should come from someone who can speak to your leadership potential as a candidate for the Shucker Fellows Program. Examples of people you can ask include, but are not limited to, coaches, mentors, teachers, club advisors, etc. The recommendation form will be sent to you upon submission of your application. Your recommender’s completed form should be emailed directly from your recommender to our assistant director, Natalie Kindler at natalie.kindler@furman.edu by Wednesday, September 13th, 2023. If you have questions or concerns regarding the recommendation component, please feel free to contact us.

Preferred qualifications:

Interest in leadership development, personal growth, and making a difference in surrounding communities
Desire to foster relationships with fellow students, staff, community partners, and alumni alike

Following application submission, you will be contacted regarding our required two-part interview process which will take place within the first few weeks of the semester. The first part is a Round-Robin style interview, where applicants are asked questions at nine different tables. The second part is a Group interview in which applicants work together to answer a scenario and come up with a plan to address it. Interviews take place in-person and candidates will be interviewed by current and former Shucker Fellows as well as the program advisor. Attire is business casual.

Class of 2027, click here to apply to be a Shucker Fellow!

“Shucker means a lot to me. Being a part of this organization tells me that others see my potential as a leader and want to help me grow. It has allowed me to meet people on campus who are outside of my bubble, and we have all become close in the few weeks we have been in the program. It feels so special to be apart of an organization that wants to help us grow and to have met some amazing people. The most important lesson I have learned in Shucker so far is that of congruence, or doing what you say you will do. I have learned that honoring my commitments can help me become a better leader and can show others how to be leaders.” – Harper Lumpkin

“Shucker has elucidated the possibilities of what can be done on and off campus. Last-year’s LCP’s were incredible, and I hope to contribute in my own way. Shucker definitely motivated me to take on that type of endeavor. The most important lesson I’ve learned has been that leadership looks different for everyone.” Chace Sledge, Class of 2026

“Shucker helped me succeed in classes, group settings, and interviews because, with knowledge of how my top 5 strengths and leadership philosophy intertwine, I have a stronger consciousness of self. I know who I am most authentically and understand what motivates me in life because of strengths and leadership lessons. These lessons also helped me find what I need to succeed and provided me with the vocabulary necessary to clearly articulate my needs, motivations, and mindset to fellow students, groups I collaborate with, and employers…The most important lesson I learned from Shucker is that I can always bring a new sense of leadership, progress, team motivation, and achievement with me wherever I go while utilizing my strengths and developed leadership philosophy. I will always want to be a leader who cares about the work that I do, roles I take on, groups I uplift, connections I make, and communities I impact.” – Alice Tyszka, Class of 2025

“To me, Shucker means learning to accept your authentic self and using that to guide your actions, involvements, and interactions. Shucker teaches you to be a leader, but it does so by first forcing you to take an introspective deep dive into who you are, what you value, and how your actions align with these things. Sessions with these focuses allowed me to own my authentic self which increased my confidence and self-esteem, allowing me to put myself outside of my comfort zone and accomplish some incredible things. Shucker taught me many lessons, but one of the most important ones was understanding the critical nature of vulnerability in developing deep, trusting relationships. This is not something that comes naturally to me, but Shucker provided a safe, relaxing environment in which I felt comfortable opening up and growing alongside my New Fellows class to make the most of my time in the program.” – Abby Stapleton, Class of 2024