MSU Women’s Leadership Institute Announces First Ever Student Cohort

November 23, 2021 - Becky Jensen

The Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI) at Michigan State University has officially created a first of its kind student cohort for the 2021-2022 academic year.

The WLI opened up applications at the start of the fall semester to all MSU Undergrads.

This select group of student leaders will be able to participate in meaningful conversations with experienced and successful women leaders from diverse backgrounds. The students will also be able to build personal portfolios and resumes, with real time feedback from experienced professionals.  The group will have several networking and mentoring opportunities, along with exclusive scholarship opportunities.


The 2021-2022 WLI Student Cohort:

Adena Norwood - First year - Anthropology 
Akshaya Suvarna - First year - Pre-Nursing 
Anne Sraith - Fourth year - World Politics 
Catie Henkelman - Third year - Child Development 
Celeste Tinsley - First year - Global and International Studies 
Danielle Atangana - Third year - Human Development and Family Studies 
Izza Peeran - First year - Psychology 
Jordan Welch - Second year- Psychology 
Julia Noel - Third year - Psychology 
Kaori Marikawa - First year - Economics
Kat Parker - First year- Environmental Engineering
Leah Toal - Second year - Human Development and Family Studies 
Mariah Saffold - Fourth year - Human Development and Family Studies 
Megan Smejkal - Second year - Political Science 
Stephanie Segura-Guerrero - Second year - Psychology 
Victoria Patellos - Second year- Psychology 
Zainab Alsalihi - First year - Human Development and Family Studies 


The group has some upcoming virtual Q and A sessions with women leaders, who are MSU alumna, to kick off the cohort activities. Those sessions include:

  • Developing a Vision: Finding Your Why, with Felicia Turrentine Wasson, Director of the Until We All Win Portfolio in Nike, Inc.’s Social & Community Impact Group 

  • Tackling Change & Leaving Your Mark with Brenda Becker Senior Vice President, Global Government Affairs, Boston Scientific 

  • Honing Your Resume, Building Your Network, and Creating an Elevator Pitch with Gloria Santona, Exec. VP and General Counsel, and Corp. Secretary of McDonald's Corp., retired; Women’s Leadership Executive Board Member 

  • Negotiation: Knowing Your Worth with Anita Khushalani, Founder and Managing Director, Worth Workplace Training LLC; Women’s Leadership Executive Board Member 

The WLI is a collaborative effort between Michigan State University, alumni, professional women, and current students. WLI has been designed to support and empower women students with leadership aspirations. We ignite women leaders with a vision of advancing leadership equity for women globally through thought leadership, creating a sustainable community, and providing high-quality events and resources for our students, faculty and MSU community.