This article appears in the Winter 2022 edition of The West Texan. Click the image to read the full issue.

One West Texas A&M University program is celebrating a decade of equipping student leaders.

Created in 2012, the Dyke and Terry Rogers Leadership Education and Development Program, or Rogers LEAD WT, selects students with high leadership potential and trains them with both academic leadership theory and hands-on experience.

“Rogers LEAD WT really empowers students and gives them the confidence and skills they need to succeed,” said Missy Macon ‘00, ‘03, program director. “Watching students step into their potential is so rewarding.”

Since its establishment, more than 200 WT students have participated in the two-year program.

Area philanthropists Dyke ’70 and Terry ’88 Rogers started Rogers LEAD WT , endowing it with a $1 million gift in 2014. Dyke Rogers was named a WT Distinguished Alumus in 2019.

“We wanted to establish a program that might encourage people who maybe haven’t seen their potential for leadership to reach their potential and make a difference in the communities they live,” said Dyke Rogers.

As residents of Dalhart, Texas, with a population of 8,000, Dyke and Terry know firsthand the impact that someone with leadership abilities can make in small communities, Dyke said.

Up to 25 students are chosen for the prestigious program each year. The program is aimed at students who are willing and eager to learn and better themselves.

Each cohort participates in a weekly leadership class, led by Dr. Rick Haasl, faculty program director. Students are taught leadership theory, given assignments, and engage in classroom discussions throughout the course.

The program also includes a “real-life” component, Macon said.

“They get to apply all that they’re learning in the classroom in real-life projects,” she said. Students serve in the community in internships with nonprofit organizations, work together in teams on program projects, and each cohort concludes by preparing and presenting a community leadership conference on campus.

The program trains students in professional skills like networking, resume writing, interviewing, and public speaking. It also aims to prepare students with values that will allow them to excel in any workforce setting.

“This program provides a holistic approach on how to be a contributing member of society,” said Rogers LEAD WT alumnus Miguel Soto ’16, ’18. “It’s such a good opportunity for students.”

Soto, from Friona, is now the assistant director for orientation services at Texas Tech University.

“Because of my experience in the program, I know how to step into spaces with confidence, having the confidence and tools to present myself well,” he said.

Keila Valdez ’19 also participated in Rogers LEAD WT and now serves students at Denton High School as an adviser in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of North Texas.

“Now I can implement the lessons of leadership I learned to these high school students,” Valdez said.

WT marked the 10-year anniversary of the program during its Homecoming celebration in October. Alumni of the program have graduated to become engineers, professors, teachers, coaches, and family leaders, Dyke Rogers said.

“People have had transformational experiences in the program, and it’s so heartwarming to watch the progress they make.”

Dyke Rogers said he is proud of how the program has matured and expanded in the past decade, and that he is grateful to be able to invest in a university that represents the Texas Panhandle so well.

“WT is now a first-choice institution,” said Dyke Rogers, who currently has two grandchildren attending WT. “What’s happening at the university now should inspire anyone from this region to consider, this is a place to be involved in.”