Alicia Sprow is coordinator of the Master of Arts in Leadership program, assistant professor of leadership and healthcare science, and sustainability initiatives coordinator for the Holleran Center. The Masters of Arts in Leadership program focuses on four principle areas: communication, leadership skills and character, leadership theory, and ethics. Graduates will possess the confidence to make tough decisions of real consequence in an uncertain world.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
What makes Alvernia a special place to you?
It's the sense of community that we built here, the culture around belonging, that we are here to act as a family and support each other in living out those values that we have here in Alvernia.
You're a big part of the Master of Arts in Leadership program. What differentiates that program from those at other institutions?
I feel there are two pieces to it. One is that we're developing the whole person of the student through our leadership program. We're looking at them not only as the student who sits in our classroom but everything else that makes up that student, as well as the capstone experience that they get to focus on in the community, whether it's their own organization that they're working to partner with, or they're working with a community partner and they are living out what they've just learned through this experiential opportunity.
You mentioned that the capstone project. What are some of the unique ones that come to mind?
We have a student who works in the City of Reading. She is working on a very comprehensive climate action plan with lots of different levels to it. But she's also reaching out to all those anchor institutions within the city to collectively work together toward that plan. It's a great example of a multiple-partner community project.
What advice would you give adults with busy lives who want to continue their education and know that they can complete a master's program at Alvernia?
The way we have it set up, there are many different options. It's flexible. They can get more classes done within a shorter period of time. We have accelerated options for the program that they can take.
So just dive in, right?
Really, continuing your education is important and there's no best time to do it.
