Word cloud in brown text with terms such as Bethune Leadership and Fellowship.

About

Named in honor of Mary McLeod Bethune, a trailblazing womanist and civil rights activist, the Bethune Leadership Fellowship is an accelerated virtual leadership development program designed to introduce emerging leaders to the world of public service, activism, and advocacy. Bethune Leadership Fellows engage with practitioners and leaders across government, nonprofit, and international affairs sectors to build strategic connections with prospective mentors; gain insight and guidance on navigating careers in public service and social impact; and clarify their mission, vision, and purpose for pursuing public service.

Collage of 20 individual portraits of diverse young women, with a pink and orange gradient background. Text reads 'sheshallspeak. Building Leaders to Change The World' at the top and 'Class of 2026' at the bottom.
Screenshot of a virtual meeting with 18 young women, some smiling, some with headphones, in various home settings.

Meet The Class of 2026

  • A woman with dark curly hair, glasses, and a bright smile, holding a flute, dressed in a black and red academic or formal uniform with gold details, standing in front of a large black and white mural depicting a castle and buildings.

    Aida Hernandez

    West Virginia, USA

  • A young woman with short curly dark hair, wearing a colorful floral blouse in pink and orange, smiling at the camera against a plain light background.

    Aleila Barton

    North Carolina, USA

  • A portrait of a young Black woman with long, curly black hair, wearing a black blazer and white blouse, looking directly at the camera with a confident expression.

    Amorette Walker

    Virginia, USA

  • Close-up of a woman with long, brown, twisted hairstyle, wearing makeup and a black top, looking at the camera with a blurred background.

    Andrea Smith

    New Jersey, USA

  • A young woman with long black curly hair, smiling, wearing a black dress, against a blue background.

    Anisha Powell

    New York, USA

  • A woman with shoulder-length dark hair styled in waves, wearing red lipstick, a black blazer, a pearl necklace, and small hoop earrings, smiling at the camera against a dark, textured background.

    April Surac

    Florida, USA

  • Close-up of a young woman with braided hairstyle wearing a black Under Armour jacket, gold necklace with initial Y, and small earrings, standing on a staircase near a white door.

    Bisola Akomolede

    Maryland, USA

  • A young woman posing in front of a blue background with yellow lettering, wearing a black sleeveless dress and a gold necklace, smiling at the camera.

    Cassidy Thomas

    North Carolina, USA

  • Close-up of a smiling woman wearing a blue top, a butterfly necklace, and small hoop earrings, with a plain beige wall in the background.

    Chelsea Onuekwusi

    New York, USA

  • A young woman with glasses and a beige headband making a kissy face for the camera.

    Czeanne Demming-Modeste

    New Jersey, USA

  • A young woman with dark hair and glasses holding a blue diploma outdoors on a sunny day, with trees and a modern building in the background.

    Eghonghon Ewanehi

    Maryland, USA

  • Francess-Marie Sarsah

    Accra, Ghana

  • Ines Eyango

    Maryland, USA

  • A young woman in professional medical scrubs with a stethoscope around her neck standing outdoors against a brick wall with a white background.

    Jonai Keys

    California, USA

  • A person in a white dress shirt, gray vest, and bow tie standing in front of a gold sequin backdrop.

    Keishea (Shea) Hoffler

    North Carolina, USA

  • A woman wearing a white hijab and pink and white sweater standing in front of a wall with irregularly shaped dark panels.

    Maarib Basi

    Nebraska, USA

  • A woman with long black dreadlocks wearing a gray shirt and a blue blazer, smiling at the camera.

    McKenzie Fitzgerald

    Virginia, USA

  • Portrait of a woman with dark hair styled in loose curls, wearing a dark button-up shirt, standing against a plain white background.

    Oluwademilade Noren

    Maryland, USA

  • Promyse Williams

    Virginia, USA

  • Raevyn Frazier

    North Carolina, USA

  • Sephorah Noisette

    New Jersey, USA

  • Sudharshini Ram

    Arizona, USA

  • Valentina Gallego

    New Jersey, USA

  • Wazeera Shekoni

    Illinois, USA

After Our Sessions, Fellows Reported Feeling Confident To…

A horizontal bar chart showing responses to the question, "What is your biggest goal at the end of this program?" The options include Pursue New Opportunities, Build Professional Relationships, Navigate My Future Public Service Career, Lead with Confidence, Advocate for Myself and Others, Speak Up in Professional Spaces, and Contribute to Effective Change in My Community. The percentages range from around 36% to 64%, with Pursue New Opportunities being the highest at 63.6%.

Our Guest Speakers

Our program connects emerging leaders directly with public servants who are “walking the walk” and “talking the talk.” We have hosted guest speakers who are affiliated with:

The U.S. Department of Labor

The Biden-Harris White House

The United States Senate

American Civil Liberties Union

Women Empowering Nations

World Learning

Radical Definition: Executive Coaching and Leadership Transformation

The Harvard Kennedy School of Government

New Jersey Institute for Social Justice

Vital Voices Global Partnership

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Boys and Girls Club of America

University of Oxford

Fellows Reported Feeling…

A diagram with circular nodes of various sizes in shades of orange, brown, and beige, each containing a positive emotion or personal quality such as Inspired, Confident, Supported, Curious, Grounded, Grateful, Informed, Connected, Enlightened, Enriched, Thankful, Knowledgeable.

Interested in Applying?

Applications open in March 2027 for our next cohort. Don’t want to miss it?

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“Power must walk hand in hand with humility, and the intellect must have a soul.”

—Mary McLeod Bethune