Truist Commits to Supporting Emerging Leaders at Randolph-Macon
The Truist Charitable Fund has committed a grant of $200,000 to support Randolph-Macon College鈥檚 Leadership Fellows Program.
Thomas Ransom, President of the Virginia Region at Truist Financial, was the featured guest at the program鈥檚 March Master Class. In a discussion moderated by Leadership Fellow Andrew Anderson 鈥24, Ransom commemorated the gift and offered career advice to the future leaders in attendance.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to announce our $200,000 donation to continue this program so that great scholars like all of you here continue to benefit from leadership development and excel. I trust that all of you are going to do great things as you go out into your future,鈥 Ransom told the group.
“We are so very grateful for the tremendous generosity of Truist, and the incredible partnership of the Truist Leadership Institute,鈥 said James McGhee, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Dean of Students. 鈥淭ruist’s gift will have a transformative impact. The Leadership Fellows Program has always trained remarkable leaders, and Truist’s gift will allow us to enhance and expand the program to be a defining experience for student leaders at RMC.”
Ransom took questions from students, speaking about his journey through the world of banking and imparting leadership lessons he鈥檚 learned throughout his career.
鈥淎lways get feedback. Don鈥檛 look for praise, ask 鈥榳hat can I improve on?鈥欌 Ransom said. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 fail, you鈥檙e not trying.鈥
Ransom also emphasized the importance of working for an organization that aligns with your personal values and purpose, as well as the value in learning from failure.
Leadership Fellows is a selective program, open to enrolling students at RMC. The four-year journey starts with the Truist Emerging Leaders Weekend, a pre-orientation program to prepare new students for future success that culminates in the Truist Emerging Leaders Certification. The program, in conjunction with the Truist Leadership Institute, focuses on self-efficacy, self-regulation, and personal development and growth.
During the academic year, students participate in Leadership Fellows 101, an eight-week seminar where they learn the foundations and history of the study of leadership, six one-hour Master Classes, where they meet with leaders in a variety of industries for candid conversations about their journey, and the Truist Student Leadership Conference, which features a keynote address from a leader in a relevant field in addition to breakout sessions covering a wide range of topics.
Service is a vital component of the program, and every Leadership Fellow completes at least 50 hours of community service during their time at RMC. Their program culminates in a Capstone Experience that demonstrates their understanding of leadership theory, presented during the spring semester.
