Join a cohort of changemakers as a Sullivan Fellow

Receive financial aid, a community of support, and the tools you need to change the world.

Deadline to apply: May 31
Only freshman at participating universities are eligible to apply.

Join a cohort of changemakers as a Sullivan Fellow

Receive financial aid, a community of support, and the tools you need to change the world.

Deadline to apply: May 31
Only freshman are eligible to apply

Sullivan Fellows
Apply to be a Sullivan Fellow

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 from colleges across the American South and 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 Retreat and Leadership and Social Innovation Field Trip in Asheville.
  • Spring: Participate in the Fellows Retreat at Black Mountain NC, focused on Leadership.

Problem

Junior Year

The second year helps you focus on specific problems in your community that you are eager to solve.

  • Fall: Attend the Fellowship Retreat and Community Engagement Field Trip in Asheville.
  • Spring: Participate in the Fellows Retreat at Black Mountain NC, focused on community engagement and assessment.

Project

Senior Year

The final year is all about helping you implement a project to create positive change on your campus or in your community.

  • Fall: Attend the Fellowship Retreat in Asheville and focus on projects developed and next steps.
  • Spring: Participate in Capstone Celebration event.

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
Apply to be a Sullivan Fellow
Check Dates for Upcoming Events

“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 Retreats, Field Trips, and Project Pitch Events.

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 **

Apply to become a Sullivan Fellow

Apply to become a Sullivan Fellow

Deadline to Apply: May 31

Only freshman at participating universities are eligible to apply.

Apply to be a Sullivan Fellow

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 us so we 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 bringing 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.

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.

A legacy of serving and leading change.

A Note from Steve McDavid, President of the Sullivan Foundation

At the heart of the Sullivan Foundation lies a commitment to service and leadership, inspired by Algernon and Mary Mildred Sullivan.

Today, we empower young changemakers, offering them tools and opportunities to shape a brighter future. Through scholarships, retreats, and our Sullivan Fellows program, we’re building bridges to a more compassionate world.

Every story of our recipients fills me with pride and hope. Together, let’s continue to inspire and be the change we wish to see.

Steve McDavid

Foundation President
Steve.McDavid@sullivanfdn.org
662.236.6335