Macungie Resident Brendan Ford Participates in Leadership Development Program

CENTER VALLEY, PA (09/14/2010)(readMedia)-- Eleven DeSales University students, including Brendan Ford of Macungie recently began participation in the 2010-2011 Salesian Leadership Institute's "Catholic Hero's Journey." Ford is a junior accounting major.

The Salesian Leadership Institute was founded in 2005 by the Catholic Leadership Institute in Exton, Pa. The two-year program is sponsored at DeSales University by the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture and is made possible through a grant from the Ryan Family Foundation. The Institute uses principles of Salesian spirituality to develop members and inspire their leadership skills to effect a transformation of culture.

The first event in which students engaged as part of their participation in the program was a three-day leadership retreat. Held in late August, the retreat helped students discover their talents and passions and learn how to use those to have a positive impact on their lives and the lives of others. Throughout the first year of the program, students will also participate in 10 meetings on the DeSales campus, where they will learn additional personal and leadership development skills and encourage each other to achieve goals.

During the second year of the program, students will participate in six meetings on the DeSales campus. Those meetings will prepare students for life after college, and will address such topics as managing finances and careers in the professional world. The students will also complete a final project where they will apply the skills they have learned from the program.

The ten other juniors who began participation in the program include communication major Mary Bielski of McVeytown, Pa., sport and exercise science majors Nick Chiovitti of Thomaston, Conn., and Patrick Dolan of Elkins Park, Pa.; finance major Tom Gumbert of Gilbertsville, Pa.; physician assistant majors Wade Kunkel of Fleetwood, Pa., Adam Neiswinter of Myerstown, Pa., Carla Nuñez of Bushkill, Pa., and Caitlin Trovato of Bethlehem, Pa.; elementary education major Derek Long of Wernersville, Pa.; and history major Christine Petrilla of Hamilton, NJ.

Established in 2000, The Salesian Center for Faith and Culture's mission is to promote the interaction of faith and culture, in a mutually beneficial engagement, through academic initiatives that focus on the authentic integration of social concerns and gospel values. The Salesian Center supports intellectual activity in research studies, dialogue events including public forums and lectures and partnership programs. For information about The Salesian Center for Faith and Culture, click on the Salesian Center icon on the DeSales University home page at www.desales.edu or call 610-282-1100, ext. 1244.

Founded in 1991, the Catholic Leadership Institute is an organization of lay Catholics whose mission is to build Catholic leaders for today and tomorrow. It offers leadership-development programs for priests and seminarians; young adults and university students; and parish, diocesan, and apostolate staff. Since 1991, CLI has helped more than 7,000 Catholics reach their God-given potential as leaders and Christian witnesses in their family, workplace, community, and church. CLI is headquartered in Immaculate Conception Hall at St. Joseph-in-the-Hills, Malvern Retreat House, Malvern, Pa. For more information on the Catholic Leadership Institute call 610-251-3750 or visit the Institute's Web site, http://www.catholicleaders.org/.