Join a cohort of changemakers as a Sullivan Fellow
Receive leadership training, a community of support, and the tools you need to change the world.
Deadline to apply: SEPTEMBER 1, 2025
This program is open to any rising sophomore or junior at a collegiate campus.
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:
Leader
Sophomore Year
The first year kicks off by helping you establish self agency and explore what kind of leader you want to be in the world.
- Fall: Attend the Fellowship kickoff retreat in Black Mountain, NC, and get exposed to high-impact social entrepreneurs and enterprises in Asheville.
- Spring: Return to Black Mountain, NC, and expand your understanding of leadership development applied to your own life journey.
Ally
Junior Year
The second year helps you focus on building relationships among your peers and within the community and identify opportunities to make a difference.
- Fall: Attend the Fellowship retreat and engage with community stakeholders and leaders in the Asheville region.
- Spring: Participate in the Fellows retreat at Black Mountain, NC, and gain real-world insights on asset-based community development.
Changemaker
Senior Year
Prepare to launch into the world with a clear sense of how you can contribute meaningfully within your community and lead a meaningful life.
- Fall: Attend the Fellowship Retreat in Black Mountain, NC, and prepare to pitch community leaders on your impact project. You will also be paired with a mentor to develop your entrepreneurial life plan.
- Spring: Get ready to put ideas into action and participate in a 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 establish self agency and explore what kind of leader you want to be in the world.
- Fall: Attend the Fellowship kickoff retreat in Black Mountain, NC, and get exposed to high-impact social entrepreneurs and enterprises in Asheville.
- Spring: Return to Black Mountain, NC, and expand your understanding of leadership development applied to your own life journey
Problem
Junior Year
The second year helps you focus on building relationships among your peers and within the community and identify opportunities to make a difference.
- Fall: Attend the fellowship retreat and engage with community stakeholders and leaders in the Asheville region.
- Spring: Participate in the Fellows retreat at Black Mountain, NC, and gain real-world insights on asset-based community development.
Project
Senior Year
Prepare to launch into the world with a clear sense of how you can contribute meaningfully within your community and lead a meaningful life.
- Fall: Attend the Fellowship Retreat in Black Mountain, NC, and prepare to pitch community leaders on your impact project. You will also be paired with a mentor to develop your entrepreneurial life plan.
- Spring: Get ready to put ideas into action and participate in a Capstone Celebration event.
“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.
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.
- Belmont University
- Berry College
- Brenau University
- Campbell University
- Converse University
- Fisk University
- Lees-McRae College
- Lincoln Memorial University
- Mary Baldwin University
- North Carolina Wesleyan
- University of Mississippi
- Warren Wilson
As of 2025, the Sullivan Fellows program is open to any college or university students.
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
