MDC Staff Hetal Patel and Sabrina McGee, members of the 13th class of the William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations!
Dear Friday Fellowship Community,
As we round the corner to another summer season, I hope each of you is doing well and holding strong.
It is with much excitement that I am writing to share the announcement of the 13th class of the William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations!
WLI had a full and busy application season this past winter through the spring. Similar to recent years, the months-long selection process included a formal nomination, written application, virtual-based conversation, and in-person regional interview. The process was both rigorous and competitive, and brought forth a strong and qualified pool of candidates, making for important and difficult decisions in seating a class. The staff here at WLI and I remain grateful for the abundance of opportunities to connect with North Carolinians interested in the fellowship program, and we are especially appreciative of your continued support as alumni through nominations.
The 18 members of the 2025-2027 Class represent twelve counties in the state. In their own unique ways, they have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to learning, growing as leaders, and engaging with others for the collective betterment of human relations.
Together, as have previous classes, the incoming cohort will spend two years journeying across North Carolina for six four-day seminars. Over the next few months, I will be working in conjunction with WLI staff and the WLI board of advisors to incorporate learning from previous classes and to adapt the program design to meet the current moment. I welcome conversations regarding your own fellowship experience and how that might shape a meaningful, transformative fellowship experience for the incoming cohort.
Now, as much as ever, we need collaborative leadership. Each of the 18 class members selected to make up the Class of 2025-2027 is well suited to engage lines of difference and the full fellowship experience with curiosity, creativity, courage, and connection. We look forward to the journey ahead and to seeing the positive impact the Class of 2025-2027 will have in our local communities, across our state, and the world.
I invite you to read our news brief announcing the class here and join us in offering a warm welcome to this incredible group of leaders as you encounter them across the state!
