St. Thomas University announces the Fernandez Lead Now Program for high school students. The program will take place from June 23 to August 2, 2008 at St. Thomas University. This is a summer program hosted by the University’s School of Leadership Studies.

The Fernandez Lead Now program engages high school students beginning in their junior year in a two year summer program that provides leadership training, university preparatory courses in math and writing, and six college credits toward the Bachelor of Arts/Science degree.

The program’s leadership training offers a series of 6 workshops where students meet successful leaders from the professional community, faculty, alumni and graduate students. In addition, the workshop offers site visits to community centers and professional environments.

At the conclusion of the 2 year program, students have earned 6 college academic credits, completed college preparatory requirements, designed a professional electronic portfolio, received leadership training, belong to the “Fernandez Fellowship Program, are assigned a professional mentor, and are entitled to receive an annual renewable $5,000 Fernandez Fellowship scholarship applicable towards tuition at St. Thomas University.

The Miami-Dade School system and the Archdiocesan Catholic schools of Miami are enrolling students in the program. The Lead Now program is an incubator of potential community leaders and successful professionals who will be trained to assume leadership roles in their community.

For more information, please contact the program director, Prof. Marcela Moyano-Rosero, at (305) 474-6840 or via e-mail at mmoyano@stu.edu. Visit the program’s Web page at http://www.stu.edu/leadnow. The application deadline for the program is April 11, 2008.