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President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program

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The President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program honors the legacy of GSW alumnus and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The program consists of two pathways, an Undergraduate Research Track and a Service Track, that exemplify Carter’s lifetime of leadership in education, politics and community service. Guided by the evidence-based “The Social Change Model of Leadership Development,” the four-year Carter Leadership Program allows students to develop their leadership skills both individually and within a group.  

During their first year, students will focus on individual growth and development, working to understand their own beliefs and values. The second year will explore the role of the group, how to build trust with others and how to work collaboratively towards common goals.

Year three centers on the community and society at large, determining the kinds of service activities most effective in energizing the group and in developing desired personal qualities in the individual.  In year three, students will choose between the academically-focused Research Track and the service learning-focused Service Track. In the fourth and final year, students will complete and assess a senior research project or complete, implement, and assess a major service project designed to benefit the GSW campus or the local community.

Throughout the four years, the Carter Leadership students will have opportunities to participate in a number of leadership, cultural, and service activities outside of the classroom, designed to enhance leadership development and personal growth. They will enroll in one academic leadership course each fall and spring semester for the four years.

They will also have the opportunity to earn the President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program Certificate in Leadership. This certificate is designed to be completed by students participating in the program and can be counted as a minor in their degree programs.

Admission Requirements

We encourage all high school seniors with a strong academic, service, and leadership background to apply. Students accepted into the program become Mix Scholars and may be eligible for other GSW scholarships. Recipients must meet program requirements, maintain a 3.0 grade point average or higher, and live on campus the first two years in order to extend the scholarship.

The deadline to apply for the program for fall admission is February 1 of each year.

  • Minimum 1100 on the SAT or an ACT composite score of 22
  • High school GPA of 3.0 or greater
  • Demonstration of strong leadership skills

Program Requirements

To remain in the program and continue receiving the annual scholarship, the following requirements must be met:

  1. Maintain a college grade point average of 3.0 or higher
  2. Live on campus the first two years of participation in the Program
  3. Be an active member of at least two campus organizations annually
  4. Attend a minimum of ten campus events each semester
  5. Fulfill volunteer service hour requirement each semester
  6. Enroll in at least one academic leadership course per semester for four years.

Program Contact

President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program

Mikela Barlow
Interim Coordinator

229-931-2435
mikela.barlow@gsw.edu

Members


Community Partners

Students in the Carter Leadership Program will have a variety of service partners within reach to meet their leadership and volunteer goals.

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Scholarship Opportunities

Students in the Carter Leadership Program will receive a scholarship of $1,500 each year they are in the program for up to four years. This is in addition to any further scholarships the student may be eligible for. This program is made possible thanks to generous support from the Charles L. Mix Memorial Fund; therefore, recipients of this scholarship will be known as Mix Scholars.

Continuing Students Who Graduate in less than Four Years

President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program students who graduate with their baccalaureate degrees in less than four years, thereby not completing the program requirements, will be allowed to remain in the program for a combined maximum total of eight semesters, excluding summer terms, under the following conditions:

The student must:

  1. Enroll in a graduate degree or a second bachelor’s degree program at Georgia Southwestern State University the fall or spring semester immediately following the baccalaureate graduation, or at a time approved by the PJCLP Director
  2. Be enrolled as a fulltime student each consecutive fall and spring semester until the degree is complete or the eighth semester is reached
  3. Maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average each semester
  4. Take all remaining PJCLP academic leadership courses
  5. Meet the volunteer service hour requirement each semester
  6. Be actively involved in the completion of the final PJCLP project for his or her cohort
  7. Continue to participate as a leader on campus 

If the above standards are met each prior semester, the student will continue to receive the annual scholarship of $1,500 for a total of four years (eight semesters, excluding summer term).