NORTH ADAMS, Mass—LEAD Academy, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA)'s almost two-decade-old program to help new students integrate into college life, is getting a boost from Greylock Federal Credit Union (Greylock). 

 

Greylock has pledged $100,000 to support a reimagined Greylock LEAD Academy, allowing the program to grow from around 30 MCLA students each year to this fa­ll's cohort of 200 participants. 

 

LEAD is now available to all MCLA first-year students at no cost. 

 

"Our LEAD program has a long history of being incredibly successful at boosting student retention rates," said MCLA President James F. Birge. "With help from Greylock Federal Credit Union, we now are able to offer this meaningful experience to all of our incoming first-year students."  

 

LEAD, which stands for Leadership, Education, Action, and Development, is a college success, leadership, and civic engagement program designed to help students develop leadership skills and the skills necessary for college preparation, which they can immediately apply. 

 

This year's LEAD students will participate in a holistic onboarding experience before the start of fall classes. The first five days will provide a signature experience focusing on leadership development, team-building, community-building, and workshops conducted by student leaders.  

 

"Greylock is excited to support this longstanding initiative, which we believe creates success for new college students in our region," said Jennifer Connor-Shumsky, Greylock assistant vice president for community support and events. "The LEAD Academy equips the next generation of leaders with the tools they'll need to thrive in their academic experiences and professional development. At Greylock, we believe in the power of financial wellness, and we're thrilled to provide support for the financial literacy presentation during the first five days of LEAD." 

 

The Greylock LEAD Program is organized by MCLA's Office of Civic and Community Engagement, led by Director Spencer Moser. The office has hired 18 current MCLA students to serve as peer mentors for this year's orientation program, with two students working over the summer to create the programming. 

 

"When they arrive, the new students will be broken up into success teams, which will include a staff member, a professor, and one or two peer mentors who will stay connected to them and guide them through their first year at the College," said Moser. 

 

Jaden Jackson '26 is one of those peer mentors who is working to format this year's LEAD programming. 

 

"We've been focusing on four main workshops based around topics students most need to know," Jackson said, "which include how to adjust to college, navigating mental health, conflict resolution, and all of the resources available to MCLA students." 

 

At the start of his freshman year, Jackson was part of the LEAD program himself. "Going through LEAD was the most impactful experience of my freshman year," he said. "I met my best friends and formed great bonds with other students and staff. Without LEAD, I would've been a little lost, but going through the program made me feel like I had a head start. I'm now part of multiple clubs and boards; I want to be involved in as many things as I can."