After a year of inactivity, Marian University’s L.E.V.E.L. Up program returned this fall with a renewed structure and purpose under the leadership of Angelica Smith, director of the Unity Center and Multicultural Programs. The program offered two sessions on Oct. 18 centered on self-awareness and leadership through the Enneagram.
Smith said she relaunched L.E.V.E.L. Up to “give the program new life” and support the Marian Leadership Initiative (MLI) through a partnership with the Unity Center.
Originally launched in spring 2024, L.E.V.E.L. Up was created as a culturally responsive leadership program for first-year Black students, with the long-term goal of supporting the Black Leadership Initiative. With the development of MLI, Smith adapted the curriculum for MLI scholars as part of their leadership certificate requirements, aligning it with Marian’s mission to develop transformational leaders.
“My goal was to create a series that directly reflects the Unity Center’s values of holistic well-being and leadership in action, while also supporting the institution’s commitment to developing transformational leaders,” Smith said.
Many participating students are already involved in leadership roles across campus—in student organizations, athletics, classrooms, and the broader community. Smith said the program aims to offer “spaces for authentic leadership formation” where students can intentionally explore and strengthen their leadership identities.
At this stage, Smith is designing and facilitating the series while collecting feedback to better understand what leadership topics matter most to today’s students. She said the insights will help shape future co-curricular programming for MLI. The MLI team has supported the effort by promoting sessions to scholars, recommending campus and community facilitators, and sharing observations about students’ evolving needs.
Each L.E.V.E.L. Up session is designed to equip students with leadership skills connected to real-world challenges. The curriculum emphasizes equity, values and empowerment—principles reflected in the program’s name. Students engage in reflection on their lived experiences, learn from peers and community members, clarify their values and practice applying those values in decision-making.
“It also creates space for students to engage the imperfect parts of their personal stories so they can grow from them and use their God-given gifts to shape the world they want to live in,” Smith said. “Many students are eager to step into leadership roles and titles but often experience burnout once they encounter the real demands of leadership.”
L.E.V.E.L. Up offers what Smith describes as a more sustainable, holistic approach by introducing tools students can use across all areas of their lives—not just in student organizations. Sessions are intentionally small, interactive and under 90 minutes, building students’ confidence and fluency in leadership language.
“I hope this series inspires students to explore themselves, their lived experiences and their identities, and to see how these elements shape both who they are and how they lead,” she said.
Ultimately, Smith said the purpose of L.E.V.E.L. Up is to empower students to pursue leadership roles with confidence and connection. She hopes the program will strengthen the Unity Center’s role in cultivating Marian University’s growing community of transformational leaders.
