Pause for Applause
News from our MCLP Alumni Network and Volunteers Share your news and updates Justin Vickers ’17 has been named Distinguished Professor of Music at Illinois State University. The School of …
Building Authentic Relationships Within the MCLP Circle of Support
Ask any MCLP alum to name the most valuable things they got from participating in the program, and they will inevitably put the relationships they formed at the top of …
Board President Bouboutsis Shares New Direction
COVID might have brought restrictions, but it also brings new opportunities for the Multicultural Leadership Institute to expand its reach, according to new Board President Barbara Bouboutsis. Because this year’s …
Mother-Daughter MCLP Duo Empowers Each Other, Community.
When participants graduate from MCLP, they become a part of a family of alumni, mentors, and community partners, but for mother-daughter duo Tiara Kyail (’19) and Linda Randle (’21), the …
2020-2021 MCLP Community Partner Organizations.
This year MCLP chose nonprofit community partner organizations that are addressing COVID-19 relief and racial justice. Of the ten 501(c)3 organizations that submitted project proposals, Prairie State Legal Services, One …
MCLP Goes Virtual
To say things are a little different this year is the understatement of 2020. Like many other organizations, MCLP had to re-imagine its programming. This year’s participants won’t gather in …
Featured: Patrick Lubala ’20
Patrick Lubala is a proud Congolese-American, Bloomingtonite, and MCLP alum. He journeyed from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the United States in 2003 to pursue better education and employment …
MCLP Celebrates Class of 2020 with First Ever Virtual Graduation
Many unusual circumstances have marked the year 2020, and the MCLP graduation ceremony was no exception. Usually, a large celebration attended by family, friends, and community supporters, this year’s event …
Sharon Peoples Speaks Out
Over the last couple of months, we have faced three senseless, unprovoked deaths. George Floyd’s death took center stage, and I could not understand why I was so incredibly impacted …
Words by Ken Starks ’10
MCLP provides a unique lens of which to view the world through. As I sit here and think about George Floyd, three themes come to mind: diversity, poverty, and civic …
Reflection by Tiara Randle ’19
Each day I look in the mirror, confronted with the reality of duality. As I take in my reflection, I embrace and affirm my brown skin. For it is …
We Are Here
I trust that you and your families are healthy and well. In our house, my five-year-old daughter has converted the kitchen floor into a miniature Lego construction zone. Times of …
Service in COVID-19: Phani Aytam
Using usual rhetoric like ‘unprecedented times’ to describe the past few months would be an understatement. As someone who values privacy and prefers to stay out of the public eye, …
Increasing My Involvement: Rell Richards ’16
This pandemic has been impactful on multiple efforts along the way. From a personal viewpoint, when this crisis presented itself, the first thing to consider was the wellness of family, …
The Economic Development Council in COVID-19
Bloomington-Normal is facing one of its greatest challenges as COVID-19 increases all over the country. The virus has taken a medical, social and economic toll on communities like ours. Patrick …
Embrace Your BLISS: Interview with Shenā Palmer ’17
Can you give some background on your work in the community? How, in your opinion, can art be used to convey a message about social justice, identity, and human rights? …
Resilience Day: Kathleen Kirk
I woke at 5:01 this morning to first light, first bird. My window is open to the spring now, and this is how I am making my way through, day …
Leadership Is a Choice: Tejas Jani, ’14
Leadership is a choice. Leadership is a lifestyle. It isn’t a title, it isn’t following a path or a definition that was set out by the corporate world. It is …
May 2020 COVID-19 Updates: NEW!
The values of servant leadership are now more important than ever in light of COVID-19. MCLP is dedicated to upholding these values and serving this community. We will adapt to …