The inaugural Ellen Wilson Fellows welcome dinner, held at Bryant University’s new Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center, was laid out in full fall finery on Monday night — pomp and circumstance marking a very special occasion. The food, including cinnamon roasted delicata squash, garlic ginger haricot vert, pumpkin ravioli with sage infused soubise sauce, and cabernet and peppercorn braised steak bites, was delectable.

But the most impressive element of the dinner was the conversation.

The young fellows, first-year students from diverse backgrounds and with a range of aspirations, engaged in discussion with Bryant’s leadership, sharing stories, opinions, and laughs around the table — leaning in towards one another and savoring the company.

At one end of the room, Mia DeAngelis ’28, Lindsay Bock ’28, and Quinn Faria ’28 bonded over their interest in travel with Mailee Kue, Bryant’s associate vice president for institutional diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, who shared with them some of the Korean she is learning. At the other, Simone Mesa ’28, a Psychology major, shifted from discussing her academic and career plans with Joseph Trunzo, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and associate director of Bryant’s School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, to proclaiming her love of rugby to the table.

“My position is forward, so I’m always either tackling or being tackled,” she said with a laugh.

The fellows also shared their experiences adjusting to Bryant, from their first classes (everyone seems to be off to a good start), to the mundane realities of college life — like doing laundry (some for the first time) — to their encounters with Archie, the certified campus comfort dog and a bonafide Bryant celebrity. “He’s so adorable!” gushed Susanna Sayegh ’28, a Finance major and member of the Bryant University Honors Program, Honors Council, and Multicultural Student Union, to Caroline Cowart, community director and Pride Center coordinator, as they waited in line for the buffet.

In many ways, the 20 young men and women were having the same conversations that other students at Bryant and, indeed, around the country are having. But the Wilson fellows, a signature initiative of Bryant’s new Ellen Wilson Leadership Center, were chosen for both their past accomplishments and their capacity to affect future change. Throughout their four-year fellowship, they will have access to special academic and cocurricular opportunities on their path to becoming strong, bold, inclusive, and ethical leaders.

The night’s dinner, explained Meghan Seligman ’23, assistant director of the Wilson Leadership Center, was about introducing the fellows to the community that will support them on their journey — and to the leaders who will be their mentors. “It's truly an honor to be here tonight and I'm thrilled to be a part of this incredible new center. I can't wait to see all that we accomplish together,” she noted in her opening remarks.

“When leadership emerges in a collaborative, inclusive, hopeful, and inspirational way, amazing things happen.”

“Being involved in taking on leadership roles isn't without its challenges, but the rewards far outweigh them,” Seligman told the assemblage. “You’ll meet incredible people — other students, faculty, and staff — who will become valuable mentors and resources. And as you're learning from them, they'll also be learning from you.”

The fellowship program, Inge-Lise Ameer, Ed.D., Bryant’s vice president of student affairs, dean of students, and chief diversity officer, told the students, is an attempt to capture and distill the very best of Bryant. “When leadership emerges in a collaborative, inclusive, hopeful, and inspirational way, amazing things happen,” she affirmed.

“This is a pretty amazing moment, one we’ve been working toward for a long time, and I just want to take a moment to appreciate it,” Ameer noted. “All of us are so excited to be here with the inaugural class of Ellen Wilson Fellows.”

Ameer then asked the fellows to introduce themselves and to name a leader they admired. Their responses were varied, ranging from former teachers who made an impact on their lives to inspiring sports stars such as former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles to political figures like Michelle Obama and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Communications major Jack Brzenk ’28, an avid musician who plans to join the Bryant Singers vocal group and the Bryant Players theatrical troupe, among other student organizations, admitted to overthinking the question at first, searching “famous leaders” online and trying to find the perfect example. In the end, though, he stayed closer to home — and chose his mother, a longtime kindergarten teacher who was recently promoted to principal. “She’s worked so hard in her life,” Brzenk noted. “It just makes me want to work harder every day.”

When the fellows were finished, Bryant University President University Ross Gittell, Ph.D., shared a hero of his own: Hannah Gray — the first female president of the University of Chicago and the one who handed Gittell his own diploma when he graduated from the school. “She led through her passion, a love for her work and her institution, and a love for making sure that others had access to the same learning and intellectual experiences that she had in her life and in her career,” Gittell remembered. “My suggestion to you is to seek a purpose and a cause that you care deeply about.”

Their next four years at Bryant, Gittell told the fellows, would help them match that passion with the “nuts and bolts” of leadership — the skillset that will allow them to truly make a difference and turn their grand ambitions into realities.

“One of the truly best parts of my job is watching students grow and become more confident in their skills and their abilities during their time with us, and so I look forward to getting to know all of you better and seeing you grow and develop,” said Gittell, Ph.D. “But listening to you all, it’s impressive how far you’ve all come already.”

The celebration concluded with the unveiling of an impressive cake dedicated to the fellows, another reason to savor the occasion, Lise-Ameer noted slyly. Between bites and sips of apple cider, however, the conversations continued on as the attendees deepened their connections.

“It makes you realize that there are such amazing people here and it reminds you that we all have something special to bring to the table."

“It’s such an amazing feeling,” Bock, a talented athlete, equestrian, and member of the Honors Program remarked to Todd Alessandri, Bryant’s dean of the College of Business. “It already feels like home here.” 

The dinner, stated DeAngelis, a Business Management major who is considering Marketing, was a great start to the semester and her journey as a fellow. “You realize there’s such an amazing people here and it reminds you that we all have something to bring to the table,” she noted.

Brzenk, Marketing major Vicky Sousa ’28, and Politics and Law major Carolina Rawan ’28 were the last to leave the celebration and, by the end, were already making plans for the future, including sharing their forthcoming adventures on the Wilson Fellows Instagram page. “We’re locked in,” affirmed a laughing Rawan, a Politics and Law major who, as a high school student, took part in Mock Trial, Model UN, and her school’s literary magazine.

As Sousa, whose interests range from art to community service, looks ahead — to the fellowship, to the mentors she’s connected with tonight, and to her future discoveries with the friends she’s made — she reflects that it’s an exciting time for her and the other fellows.

“I think what excites me the most,” Sousa noted, “are all the possibilities.”