LEAD Scholars Program

Dear Campus Community, 

Thank you for joining me yesterday for the 2024 State of the University address. We anticipate sharing a recording of the full event early next week. Today I reach out to share one important announcement from the address so our whole campus can celebrate this good news.

To better serve a diverse University community, we have transformed our Urban Education Program into the Leadership, Excellence, Achievement, Diversity Scholars Program, or LEAD. 

This name change not only reflects Westfield State’s 55-year legacy and founding vision of the Urban Education Program but also emphasizes the University’s dedication to cultivating excellence in all students, acknowledging their achievements, and celebrating the diversity that enriches the campus community. 

This transformation is aimed at empowering our young people and opening doors to more opportunities. The LEAD Scholars Program will enable our students to take the lead not only in the classroom but also within the campus community, their own communities, and beyond. 

As we embark on this transition to the LEAD Scholars Program, we want to reinforce our dedication to supporting first-generation college students, those eligible for the Pell Grant, and individuals from diverse backgrounds. We are excited about the possibilities this change brings and the continued impact it will have on our students’ lives.

Sincerely,

Linda

The LEAD Scholars Program, formerly known as the Urban Education Program, was founded in 1968 to provide college access, mentoring, and academic advising to students of color that may not have been afforded such opportunity considering the turbulent social climate.

Since then the LEAD Scholars Program has evolved to provide holistic support services to all students that self-identify as first-generation or demonstrate a financial need. The LEAD Scholars Program embraces a notion of an academic community enriched and enhanced by diversity along with varied ethnic and educational backgrounds. We are especially committed to increasing the representation of those populations that have been historically excluded from participating in an institution of higher learning.

We are not just a Summer Bridge Program. After matriculation, LEAD Scholars Program services continue throughout the student's educational career at Westfield State University. The LEAD Scholars Program provides holistic academic and personal support for each program student. We are dedicated to the growth of confident and capable individuals. We strongly encourage students to take full advantage of our program services once they have matriculated at Westfield State University.