Courage to Lead

The Courage to Lead student team together with Director of Programs Jana Mader—a dedicated group of peer leaders working to foster a campus culture rooted in empathy, dialogue, and shared responsibility.

Our Current Student Fellows

(Left to right):

Jana Mader, Director of Academic Programs

Aimée Gladding is a second-year student majoring in Film & Electronic Arts with a second focus in Written Arts looking to pursue a MAT through the Bard 4+1 program. As a Fellow, she is interested in how confidence and open collaboration intersect to create leaders that move through both their fields and the world with bold intention and how BLP can inspire that—as it is the first step to any success—within Bard students.

Julián Donas Milstein is a first-year student at Bard intending to moderate into the Global and International Studies program. He is Uruguayan and grew up in Upper Manhattan. As a fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center, he hopes to bring an interdisciplinary perspective to the program and help build bridges between different groups on campus.

I’m Keta Tavartkiladze. I’m from Tbilisi, Georgia. I am a junior, studio arts major in Bard. I’m delighted to be part of the Bard community and have the opportunity to participate in social events and activities through the Courage to Lead Program.

Hi, I am Brandon; my friends call me Alchy for my last name. I am a rising sophomore from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan majoring in Economics. I’m really looking forward to learning and diving into all the new opportunities and activities that make our campus so unique. I have confidence that this collaboration with the Hannah Arendt Center and Bard Athletics will have an everlasting influence on our incredible Bard campus.

Read more about our Student Fellows here.

The Program

Courage to Lead is a student-driven program that empowers Bard students to step into leadership with purpose, integrity, and imagination. Designed and facilitated by students, this initiative invites peers to develop the skills and sensibilities needed to lead in today’s complex world—not through authority, but through collaboration, listening, and moral clarity.

Grounded in the political and ethical thought of Hannah Arendt and rooted in the practices of facilitative leadership, Courage to Lead offers a space to reflect deeply on what it means to act with courage and responsibility in community. Through student-led workshops, interactive dialogues, hands-on projects, and guided reflection, participants explore how to foster trust, navigate disagreement, and create environments where diverse perspectives are welcomed and engaged.

This program is not about having all the answers. It’s about learning to ask better questions, building the capacity to hold space for others, and practicing the kind of leadership that empowers collective action and shared understanding.

For more information, contact Jana Mader, Director of Academic Programs at [email protected]

Project Gallery

Workshop with Malia DuMont

Malia Du Mont—Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategy and Policy at Bard College—led an inspiring leadership workshop for Hannah Arendt Center fellows. Drawing on her background in national security and strategic leadership, Malia guided students through a reflective process of identifying personal strengths, exploring leadership styles, and practicing collaborative problem-solving.
See more here
Compassion Leadership Project

In collaboration with Professor Tatjana Myoko von Prittwitz und Gaffron and her class on compassionate leadership, students created a reflective zine that explores the intersections of empathy, mindfulness, and social action.
See more here
Campus Clean-Up

Students organize and lead a college-wide clean-up initiative, putting leadership into practice through collective action, environmental stewardship, and care for the Bard community.
See more here