Creating positive change can be really hard work. Don’t go it alone.
The Sullivan Fellows program is designed for students like you who don’t just want a career – you want a calling.
You want to make a difference.
Sullivan Fellows embark on a three-year journey to learn how to become leaders and changemakers alongside a cohort of like-minded students on your campus.
You’ll gather yearly with peers from colleges around the country who are all focused on one thing: Changing the world.
Creating positive change can be really hard work. Don’t go it alone.
The Sullivan Fellows program is designed for students like you who don’t just want a career – you want a calling.
You want to make a difference.
Sullivan Fellows embark on a three-year journey to learn how to become leaders and changemakers alongside a cohort of like-minded students on your campus.
You’ll gather yearly with peers from colleges around the country who are all focused on one thing: Changing the world.
Here’s what you’ll get to experience.
Gain clarity on who you are, understand problems you want to solve, and develop projects that better your community.
As a Sullivan Fellow on your campus, your journey will include:
Personal
Sophomore Year
The first year kicks off by helping you find personal clarity on what kind of leader you want to be in the world.
- Fall: Attend the Fellowship Kickoff at the Ignite Retreat
- Spring: Participate in a Leadership & Social Innovation Field Trip
Problem
Junior Year
The second year helps you focus on specific problems in your community that you are eager to solve.
- Fall: Identify local issues you want to solve at the Ignite Retreat
- Spring: Pitch your project idea to alumni at the Sullivan Showcase
Project
Senior Year
The final year is all about helping you implement a project to create change on your campus and community.
- Fall: Participate as a Peer Mentor at the Ignite Retreat
- Spring: Join our Virtual Closing Career Fair & Celebration
Here’s what you’ll get to experience.
Gain clarity on who you are, understand problems you want to solve, and develop projects that better your community.
As a Sullivan Fellow on your campus, your journey will include:
Personal
Sophomore Year
The first year kicks off by helping you find personal clarity on what kind of leader you want to be in the world.
- Fall: Attend the Fellowship Kickoff at the Ignite Retreat
- Spring: Participate in a Leadership & Social Innovation Field Trip
Problem
Junior Year
The second year helps you focus on specific problems in your community that you are eager to solve.
- Fall: Identify local issues you want to solve at the Ignite Retreat
- Spring: Pitch your project idea to alumni at the Sullivan Showcase
Project
Senior Year
The final year is all about helping you implement a project to create change on your campus and community.
- Fall: Participate as a Peer Mentor at the Ignite Retreat
- Spring: Join our Virtual Closing Career Fair & Celebration
“The Sullivan Foundation changed my mindset from dreaming – to believing – that I could tackle any project!”
Julie Sparks, Past Sullivan Participant
Rollins College
“The Sullivan Foundation changed my mindset from dreaming – to believing – that I could tackle any project!”
Julie Sparks, Past Sullivan Participant
Rollins College
Receive tools and scholarships to sustain your efforts.
Community
Plug into a cohort of changemakers on campus while connecting with other universities.
Training
Receive funding to attend (3) Ignite Retreats, (1) Field Trip, and (1) Project Pitch Event.
Mentorship
Get tailored mentorship to turn what you learn into a Campus Project.
Scholarship
Get a partial tuition reduction for three years.
** amount varies depending on the school **
Receive tools and scholarships to sustain your efforts.
Community
Plug into a cohort of changemakers on campus while connecting with other universities.
Training
Receive funding to attend (3) Ignite Retreats, (1) Field Trip, and (1) Project Pitch Event.
Mentorship
Get tailored mentorship to turn what you learn into a Campus Project.
Scholarship
Get a partial tuition reduction for three years.
** amount varies depending on the school **
Participating Universities
- Berry College
- Brenau University
- Converse University
- Lees-McRae College
- Lincoln Memorial University (starting Fall 2024)
- Mary Baldwin University
- North Carolina Wesleyan (starting Fall 2024)
- University of Mississippi
- Warren Wilson
Application Details
Accepted Fellows are notified in July each year and invited to participate in a virtual welcome gathering held in August.
Please note that all program components listed above are requirements for your participation. Before applying, be sure you’ll be able to commit to the entirety of the Fellows experience. You can review upcoming dates for activities at our online calendar.
Have a question about the program? Get in touch with a Sullivan Campus Liaison who can help you determine if this is the right fit for you.
Do you want to bring the program to your campus?
Do you want to bring the program to your campus?
If you are a faculty, staff or university administrator, please get in touch with our Fellowship Coordinator to explore next steps for bring the program to your campus.
When fully operational, Sullivan Fellows Campuses have 12 students participating in a cohort as Fellows – four sophomores, four juniors, and four seniors. Exceptions may be made for a school to have only 2-3 students per year in the program. Students apply to become Fellows in the spring of their freshman year; selected Fellows begin in the fall semester of their sophomore year.
Selected Fellows embark on a three-year cohort-based personal and professional development program (spanning their sophomore, junior, and senior year) which sends them to two events each year (one in the fall, one in the spring) with students from other schools in the Sullivan Foundation Network.
Between the fall and spring events, while back on campus, Fellows receive virtual support from Sullivan Coaches and online courses, along with on-campus guidance from a designated campus Sullivan Fellows Advisor as they build an understanding of who they are, what issues matter to them, and how they want to create change in the world.
Yes, but the amount depends on the financial capacity of the school. All schools are required to provide some form of tuition reduction to their students.
The simple answer? Because you want a student population who takes action and builds solutions to problems facing our society.
Sullivan Fellows will be guided over three years to not only learn about changemaking, but to ideate, develop, and launch campus projects which will directly benefit your campus community and your school’s reputation as a place where students take action to create change.
Quick history… the Sullivan Foundation has offered the Algernon Sydney Sullivan annual scholarship at some of our partner schools since 1930. The amount of money we donate to these schools is then matched by a tuition reduction from the partner school. In its current form, one student each year gets a check.
While scholarship dollars are nice, most scholarship recipients do not attend Sullivan events and programming – thus missing out on the chance to take part in our personal and professional development and the rich connections to be had with students from across our campus network of 70 schools in the American southeast.
Currently, many students who do attend Sullivan programming are only able to join once, as schools endeavor to make space for new students to participate. So – a spark is lit, but often students report returning to “business as usual” when back on campus. The spark fades because there’s no consistent contact and support. A standalone event can only do so much.
We are interested in creating more long-term relationships with young people, keeping their fire lit, and providing them with scaffolded learning throughout their college career so they are equipped with the self-awareness, tools, and relationships to bring about the positive change they’re desperate to see in the world.
This is why we’re working to shift our endowed partner schools away from the Algernon Sydney Sullivan annual scholarship model to a Sullivan Fellows Campus model where selected students participate in events and programming throughout their college career. By the end of their Fellowship experience, they’ll have knowledge, skills, relationships, and a community project to carry them into the next stage of their lives.
To start, get in touch with our Sullivan Fellows coordinator by clicking the link below.
After an initial call, we will work to bring together the necessary decision-makers at your school and draft up a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ to sign which will be tailored slightly to the financial situation at your school. Each school is slightly different depending on whether a Scholarship program currently exists on your campus and to what degree an endowment or financial resources exist to support the program.
Each semester, Fellows participate in dynamic programming, retreats, and field trips. Please sign your students up at the appropriate links below:
