ODK Receives 2017 Maurice A. Clay Leadership Grant

By Julie Cline
December 15, 2016

“At W&L, we value civility and community, and the grant will allow the circle to have a positive impact on maintaining those traditions.”

Washington and Lee University’s Alpha Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) is a recipient of a 2017 Maurice A. Clay Leadership Development Initiative Grant which is designed to enhance leadership development. The grant is $500.

Kiki Spiezio ’18, circle president, wrote a proposal for a Clay grant titled “Bridging the Gap: Leadership Networking Nights with ODK and Diverse Student Leaders.”

Programs are chosen by the ODK National Awards Committee using three distinct characteristics: furthering circle engagement within the campus community, enhancing current programming and developing new initiatives to increase publicity.

W&L was one of 10 ODK circles chosen. There are 302 active circles, and the number of living members is just under 300,000. Maurice A. Clay was the first executive director.

“The Clay grant will give the students in our circle the opportunity to meet other campus leaders that they might not encounter otherwise,” said Linda Hooks, professor of economics at W&L and ODK’s faculty advisor. “This is one of the primary goals of ODK, to bring together leaders from across campus to discuss issues of common interest, so it is very exciting that our circle president, Kiki Spiezio, found a way to implement the goal so effectively.

“Winning the grant is also a public recognition of the importance of these goals,” Hooks added. “At W&L, we value civility and community, and the grant will allow the circle to have a positive impact on maintaining those traditions.”

ODK was founded on Dec. 3, 1914, at Washington and Lee University. Its mission consists of identifying, honoring and developing leaders in collegiate and community life; encouraging collaboration among students, faculty, staff and alumni to advance leadership; and promoting and publicizing ODK’s ideals.