McNicholas introduces Leadership McNick

Be leaders wherever it behooves you to be. Leaders of thought, leaders of action, leaders of joy, leaders of hope, leaders of the construction of a better world.  Pope Francis

McNicholas is excited to unveil Leadership McNick, its newest initiative in the development of compassionate leaders. 

Leadership McNick is a four-year, intentional growth experience that combines high-quality leadership training with small-group relationship building, retreat programming, vocation and career exploration, and formal and informal mentoring.

McNicholas Student Culture Coordinator, Todd Naumann, said, “Leadership formation and development has been taking place at McNicholas High School in many settings and for many years—in the classroom, on retreats, through athletics and extracurriculars, and within the CREW program, just to name a few. Leadership McNick aligns this existing experiential formation and adds innovative, intentional initiatives that will help our students answer Pope Francis’s call to compassionate leadership.”

One of those initiatives is a formal partnership with the Xavier Leadership Center (XLC).  Throughout their four years at McNicholas, students will benefit from custom, formal leadership training with the XLC and, upon graduation, will have earned a Xavier Leadership certificate and digital badge.

Carol Turchick, 1987 graduate of McNicholas and Director of the XLC, said, “I am excited for McNick students to benefit from XLC’s facilitators and the insights and knowledge they bring.  Students will have a head start on concepts and experiences that major companies all over the world are investing in for their employees. This will provide them with skills early and allow them to discern where they want to go next with their talents.”

Leadership McNick formally kicks off with the 2022-23 school year. The Class of 2025 will have their first session with the XLC on Tuesday, Sept. 20 and the Class of 2024 will have theirs on Thursday, Sept. 22.

Jennifer Burt, member of the McNick Leadership committee, said, “As a parent of two alumni and a current junior, I am excited about our partnership with XLC. XLC's mission aligns with the McNicholas mission in terms of faith and practicality of producing future leaders. McNicholas and the XLC believe that every individual has the potential to do great things if they have the right skills, tools, and application necessary to succeed. Our goal is to graduate Catholic leaders.” 

Turchick agrees, “With a shared tradition rooted in Catholic values, the road through McNick is a natural extension of that mission, and we are honored to share the leadership journey with the McNick students.”

Laid out as a four-year roadmap, Leadership McNick is specifically designed to help McNicholas students reach their potential or ‘stature’ and share their gifts with others. View the Leadership McNick roadmap. 

Naumann added, “We are excited to engage our students in this four-year journey, helping them to find their God-given brilliance. Our students, our school, and our community are at its best when we equip young people with the necessary skills and resources to effectively lead.”