Leadership Redefined
Sarah Gore is busy. With a packed household and her job as Regional Account Manager for Myriad Genetics that requires her to be on the road, she didn’t think she could fit a master’s degree into her schedule, until she got a taste of continuing her education at Gonzaga.
Gore decided to pursue her Certificate in Foundational Leadership (CFL), a program offered through Gonzaga’s Center for Lifelong Learning and School of Leadership Studies.
She loved what she was learning so much, she wanted more and decided her next step would be Gonzaga’s Online Master’s in Organizational Leadership (ORGL).
“I knew that achieving a professional degree from Gonzaga would take me to exciting places. But the CFL program allowed me to inspect and better understand how Gonzaga's unique course design elevated students’ experience.”
“The ORGL program is a continuation that builds on what I took away from the CFL program; perspective, confidence and vulnerability, as well as the bigger picture mindset and not being so worried about responding to every single stimulation.”
The ORGL program has given Gore a new understanding of her abilities and her goals.
“I see a more realistic future in leadership, specifically in strategy and innovation. I feel more confident in exploring my curiosities in these areas, and I feel like the coursework provided a launchpad for that and created space for exploring new opportunities,” she said.
Gore loved the customizability of ORGL and enrolled in a wide range of courses. She found the Leadership and Diversity class to be particularly impactful.
“I chose it because a facet of my work in recent years has provided opportunities to be involved in DEI initiatives. I feel that I have a unique perspective to offer having worked in a professional capacity in the pre MeToo and post MeToo environments, and the instructor set expectations and a tone for the coursework by creating a judgment free space. where students were respectful in their interactions, which fueled interest in digging deeper into complex case studies. I learned a lot.”
Gore also enjoyed exploring commonly accepted assumptions about leadership, and she stretched herself to think about leadership as people at all levels of an organization, not just those occupying the C-Suite.
She was also happy to see that she could build strong connections with her classmates online.
“What surprised me was how many opportunities I was given to build community with other students and see and acknowledge their lives and their vulnerabilities. This allowed me to further acknowledge that leadership is not perfect, and it doesn't require a perfect person,” said Gore .
Gore said she always expected that an MBA would be her next step, but after exposure to the School of Leadership Studies, she realized the ORGL program was exactly what she needed to achieve her goals.
“I think that Gonzaga has done a really good job of honing in on current challenges and events and understanding that professional development looks very different now than it looked even five years ago. That takes a lot of work and a lot of vision, and I think it's really cool that we have this type of institution in Spokane.”
*Gore is graduating with the class of 2024 and is also celebrating a promotion to Associate Director.
Gore decided to pursue her Certificate in Foundational Leadership (CFL), a program offered through Gonzaga’s Center for Lifelong Learning and School of Leadership Studies.
She loved what she was learning so much, she wanted more and decided her next step would be Gonzaga’s Online Master’s in Organizational Leadership (ORGL).
“I knew that achieving a professional degree from Gonzaga would take me to exciting places. But the CFL program allowed me to inspect and better understand how Gonzaga's unique course design elevated students’ experience.”
“The ORGL program is a continuation that builds on what I took away from the CFL program; perspective, confidence and vulnerability, as well as the bigger picture mindset and not being so worried about responding to every single stimulation.”
The ORGL program has given Gore a new understanding of her abilities and her goals.
“I see a more realistic future in leadership, specifically in strategy and innovation. I feel more confident in exploring my curiosities in these areas, and I feel like the coursework provided a launchpad for that and created space for exploring new opportunities,” she said.
Gore loved the customizability of ORGL and enrolled in a wide range of courses. She found the Leadership and Diversity class to be particularly impactful.
“I chose it because a facet of my work in recent years has provided opportunities to be involved in DEI initiatives. I feel that I have a unique perspective to offer having worked in a professional capacity in the pre MeToo and post MeToo environments, and the instructor set expectations and a tone for the coursework by creating a judgment free space. where students were respectful in their interactions, which fueled interest in digging deeper into complex case studies. I learned a lot.”
Gore also enjoyed exploring commonly accepted assumptions about leadership, and she stretched herself to think about leadership as people at all levels of an organization, not just those occupying the C-Suite.
She was also happy to see that she could build strong connections with her classmates online.
“What surprised me was how many opportunities I was given to build community with other students and see and acknowledge their lives and their vulnerabilities. This allowed me to further acknowledge that leadership is not perfect, and it doesn't require a perfect person,” said Gore .
Gore said she always expected that an MBA would be her next step, but after exposure to the School of Leadership Studies, she realized the ORGL program was exactly what she needed to achieve her goals.
“I think that Gonzaga has done a really good job of honing in on current challenges and events and understanding that professional development looks very different now than it looked even five years ago. That takes a lot of work and a lot of vision, and I think it's really cool that we have this type of institution in Spokane.”
*Gore is graduating with the class of 2024 and is also celebrating a promotion to Associate Director.