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BW – Supporting Society

McMaster is reimagining what it means to be a leader. We’re preparing students to lead with a focus on our shared humanity.

How our shared humanity is driving leadership development at Wilson College

Dayle McKay has always cared about young people having a say in the decisions that shape their lives. That drive has her thinking about a future in education, although she’s still exploring what form it might take.

What she knows is that the system needs more voices like hers.

“I’m Indigenous. I’m a woman. I’m a youth-in-care, and I feel like there’s not enough representation from any of those groups in making decisions that impact all of us,” said McKay, who is one of 50 students that make up the first cohort of McMaster’s new Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement.

“We need more people with lived experience in these roles so that decisions reflect everyone.”

Professor Kristina Llewellyn stands outside with three students from Wilson College. They're all smiling and looking at a binder that one of the students is holding.

Meet the next generation of leaders

Not your typical leadership podcast

The logo for Generations Ahead, a podcast from Wilson College and The Walrus Lab

What does it take to spark real change in our communities? How can creative solutions from classrooms to policies to grassroots movements and beyond shape a better future, and what kind of leadership will carry us forward?

Generations Ahead is a podcast exploring the most imaginative approaches shaping the future of Canada and the world. Hosted by Sara Wolfe, Wilson College’s External Director, the series draws on her career spanning healthcare practices informed by her Indigenous roots to teach future leaders. Each episode features changemakers not just from academia but from the front lines of real-world work, tackling complex problems and sharing what their solutions could mean for generations to come.

This is not a typical leadership podcast. It is about imagination, connection, and the sparks of possibility that emerge when we face the mess of today with critical hope.

The world needs scientists who lead

Headshot of Kay McCallum and Visali Manimaran, who are standing outside in front of a tree, smiling at the camera.

When building an academy for aspiring leaders, provost and vice president (academic) Maureen MacDonald knew that students would be key to its success.

That’s why she reserved two seats for a pair of student presidents on the team behind the launch of the Susan Cunningham Science Leadership Academy

MacDonald says the contributions of Kay McCallum and Visali Manimaran were invaluable.

“In every meeting, Kay and Visali helped shape our work in ways that simply wouldn’t have been possible without them. They proved yet again that students are our superpower.”

Strengthening democracy and civic engagement

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