Buffalo, NY - One of Canisius’ signature programs, the Urban Leadership Learning Community (ULLC), received a $1 million gift from an alumnus who wishes to remain anonymous.
The ULLC provides scholarship support to the best and brightest students from Greater Buffalo, with the aim to create the next generation of leaders in Buffalo and Western New York. Students in the program are from populations historically denied access and systemically excluded from positions of influence and power. The program is co-directed by ULLC alumnus Bennie D. Williams ’11, MS ’13, assistant dean of students and director
of the Multicultural Student Center, and Michael Forest, PhD, chair and professor of the Philosophy Department.
“We are extremely grateful for this generous support for one of Canisius’ most distinctive high-impact programs,” said President Steve Stoute. “This gift to the ULLC shows a deep commitment to our Catholic, Jesuit, urban mission, which calls us to be persons for and with others and allows us to inspire a new generation of leaders. It will have a lasting impact on Canisius, Buffalo and Western New York for generations to come.”
“My ULLC scholarship not only provided me with the means to attend Canisius but also with an incredibly supportive community to ensure my success,” said Katara D. Willis ’23. “When I saw firsthand the time, energy and commitment the Canisius community has for its students, I knew it was where I belonged.”
The ULLC fosters transformational leadership through team-based learning, mentorship, leadership development and involvement in co-curricular, extra-curricular and service activities. ULLC students form a diverse learning community, grounded in collaboration, inclusiveness, immersion in living and learning experiences, and
problem-solving.
Willis is a teaching assistant in philosophy for Forest, serves as a ULLC intern and is treasurer of Latin American Students and Friends (LASAF). She’s been named to the dean’s list every semester since starting the program and was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu national Jesuit honor society.
The Jesuit mission of service resonates with Willis.
“Service perfects character and corrects our heart posture,” she said. “Willingness to serve shows us the way to success, and provides us with more than just a job but a road to fulfill our purpose. For me,
this is the most important part of job preparation.”
Willis plans to continue her education at Canisius in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration program (HESAA).
