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Southwest’s Leadership Institute inducts 17 members

By Marketing and Communications 

Southwest’s 2023 Leadership Institute inductees pose for a picture with Dr. Tracy D. Hall (middle) and their families.
Southwest’s 2023 Leadership Institute inductees pose for a picture with Dr. Tracy D. Hall (middle) and their families.


Seventeen students qualified for induction into the 2023 Southwest Leadership Institute (SLI). 

The newest members were recognized for their leadership skills during a reception hosted by the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement at the Macon Cove Campus on Sept. 21, 2023. 

Induction into SLI is not an automatic acceptance for any student who applies for membership. Students must complete several goals established by the institute. 

The 17 students were part of a group of 24 potential members who successfully completed the goals necessary to obtain their leadership certification at the SLI’s annual retreat in August at Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee. The retreat is designed to empower students as leaders as well as qualify them for induction. Students read selections from "Good to Great" by Jim Collins and submitted essays based on presentations from Dr. Derrick Wheatley, head of the Department of Business and Legal Studies, and Chris Camp, an instructor in the Department of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). In addition to team-building activities, the students were also tasked with creating a commercial for the college that was shared on social media. 

Quienteria Taylor, who will earn her associate degree in communication, graphics and fine arts in 2024, said the retreat was an experience that allowed her fellow inductees to grow, excel and become the “best version of themselves”. “SLI has offered a chance for us to network with Southwest’s vary talented professors but also gave us the opportunity to network with other student leaders on a more professional level. We were exposed to a set of tools needed to ensure we can step in a room with directors, CEOs and presidents confidently knowing who we are, our personality types and how to effectively communicate with others. The skills I learned here personally and professionally have definitely paved the way for the leader I and the rest of my cohorts are to become,” Taylor said. 

Keynote speaker Dr. Sherria King, dean of the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Mathematics, described her life experience growing up as a first-generation student of teenage parents. She challenged students to embrace a growth mindset that would serve them well in their future endeavors. “Great leaders have a growth mindset,” King said. “This is a belief that a person’s ability is not just innate or something they are born with. Our abilities and our skills can be developed and improved through hard work, dedication, perseverance and persistence. Ongoing learning and improvement are critical to achieving success,” she said. 

Since the establishment of the institute, 156 students have earned their SLI leadership certification. 

Congratulations to the members of the  2023 Student Leadership Institute. 

2023 STUDENT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE MEMBERS 

Ahmed Alnuzely
Jaisha Andrews
Antionette Briggs
Gracie Driver
Tiniesha Hardrick
Samuel Harris
Allyson Miller Harrison
Clara Mashburn
Taurus McDaniel
Mary Murphy 
Quinteria Taylor
Tramond Vaughn
Michael Warwick
Riley Warwick
Tarik Wilkins
Nenet Wotengo
Mesha Young

Students and faculty members interested in learning more about SLI should contact Phoenix Worthy, director of Student Leadership & Engagement, at  pworthy@southwest.tn.edu or 901-333-4179.