In August, as the campus prepared for a new academic year, the McDonough Center for Leadership and Business welcomed its 40th cohort of leadership students to campus. This cohort represents the newest generation carrying that legacy forward.
Two of this year’s McDonough Scholars, roommates Raygen Nowlin ’30 and Kaydence Speelman ’30, joined around 150 of their first-year classmates as they stepped into the Alma McDonough Auditorium for the first time, ready to discover what it truly means to be McDonough Leadership students.
As part of joining the McDonough leadership program, students participate in the Experience Community Engagement and Leadership (EXCEL) workshop. EXCEL is a student-run program in which incoming leadership students engage in eye-opening experiences that challenge them to reflect, collaborate, and learn about their own leadership styles.
For many freshmen, starting college can feel daunting, which is why EXCEL offers a welcoming environment where new students connect with upperclass students and build relationships with their peers. For Nowlin, the program made a noticeable difference in easing her transition into college life. She explained that EXCEL made her feel more comfortable and making connections through the workshop helped her meet people and learn about the campus before classes began.
Much of that comfort and connection comes from the activities planned throughout the week. The EXCEL program centers around four experience days: Leadership Games, where groups bond through team-building activities; Challenge Course, which requires collaboration to complete physical obstacles, like a tight-rope walk and team skit; Breaking Boundaries, a day of sharing and reflection; and Community Engagement, where students spend time working within the Marietta community. Each day ends with a community meeting where the students share their experiences.
Speelman shared EXCEL helped her make new friendships, and Breaking Boundaries was her favorite day because its atmosphere encouraged close relationships among her peers.
“I like the non-judgmental environment of Breaking Boundaries, and it was a good challenge that allowed me to step out of my comfort zone. It was scary for a lot of us, but I think opening up like that helps create deeper connections that are important when we are all in the same boat,” Speelman said.
EXCEL 2026 coordinators, AnnaBelle Hacker ‘27 and Madison Lynn ‘28 explained that activities correspond with concepts. Hacker described how the program helps students distinguish between transactional leadership—leadership that focuses on exchanges—and transformational leadership, which focuses on motivating people toward shared growth.
“I think freshmen come into the program only thinking of leadership as transactional and EXCEL is the first real example of transformational leadership in their lives. They see that through their small group leaders and the small group leaders see transformational leadership through the coordinators, so it is a domino effect,” Hacker said.
The 40th cohort arrived with unmistakable energy that set the tone from day one. What set these students apart was how receptive they were to the workshop, according to Hacker.
“I have never seen a group of eighteen-year-olds be so unapologetically themselves on the first day I met them,” she said.
As the week progressed, Hacker and Lynn watched the cohort evolve. They noted how the students grew as leaders, especially in their ability to slow down, listen to one another, and engage in thoughtful discussion. The activities were designed so someone who was confident in one challenge often found themselves learning from others in the next, Hacker noted.
“The students had to learn how to listen to each other because you are not going to be the best person in the room that is solving every puzzle. They had to learn how to be uncomfortable with not knowing the answer,” she said.
The emphasis on listening resonated with Nowlin as well. When asked about what she learned from EXCEL and the leadership program so far, Nowlin described the importance of listening as a leader.
“Sitting in the community meetings and watching everyone digest the information helped me realize that listening is just as important as being the one talking,” Nowlin said.
EXCEL does not just shape the first-year class—it also has a lasting impact on the student leaders who guided them. Storm Stimmel ’26, a returning EXCEL leader, reflected how both the Leadership Games and Breaking Boundaries have impacted him.
“Both days have a meaningful impact. They bring so many people close together but for two vastly different reasons. That is one of the beauties of EXCEL and learning about leadership—you can bring people together in more than one way,” Stimmel said.
With this year’s workshop behind her, Lynn is already thinking about what comes next. She plans to continue in her role as coordinator and has already begun preparing for what the 2027 program will look like.
“I am getting ready to go into meetings of reflection on what can we change and what can we make better. I am just excited to continue participating,” Lynn said.
The heart of EXCEL lies in its ability to support students during a vulnerable transition. The program allows students like Nowlin and Speelman to push past their comfort zones and step into experiences that build confidence. Hacker and Lynn described EXCEL as challenging, transformational, and invaluable to the McDonough Leadership experience overall. Lynn summed up the power EXCEL has demonstrated for the past 40 years.
“EXCEL gives you a sense of home and community that by the time you are done with it, you feel like you belong.”
Olivia Emery is a Junior at Marietta College studying English with minors in communication studies and professional writing and a leadership certificate. She is the vice president of Pioneer Activities Council, vice president of the Multicultural Club, and marketing and communications copywriting Intern for Marietta College.