Vol basketball’s Admiral Schofield (’19) learned valuable insights about leadership through the VOLeaders Academy.
In 2017, Admiral Schofield’s VOLeaders cohort visited Vietnam.
“To see the orphanages and how many kids are there,” says Schofield, “and to see what they go through postwar, and then see the impact we have through sport, we gain an understanding of what it means to be able to connect to different kids on a different continent and a different society. We see how they touch our hearts and inspire us to impact the world and impact change.”
VOLeaders has shown me that leadership doesn’t come in just one form. Your contributions helped me grow as a man, person, and leader.
– Admiral Schofield (’19), VOLeaders Academy participant
Through VOLeaders, Schofield has gained insights about leadership. “Part of leadership is getting over your initial judgments,” he says. “VOLeaders has shown me that leadership doesn’t come in just one form. It comes in many forms. You can be led by people below you. You can be led by people above you. You can lead from the middle. It’s just about using your platform and leading people in the right direction.
“I’ve gotten better at being led. I’ve made a point of really understanding how my play affects others, how what I say and what I do affects others—using that platform to make things better.
“To the donors who make this program possible,” says Schofield, “I’d say thank you. Your contributions helped me grow as a man, person, and leader.
“The donors should be very proud of what our student–athletes have learned. And as the program continues, it’s going to help our student–athletes and our university represent the rich tradition of being a beacon bringing light to the world and showing the world what Volunteers are all about.”
