As Student Leadership NORTH (SLNorth) marks the beginning of its 15th year, the organization is celebrating a milestone that reflects more than a decade of investment in young people: over 600 of the program’s alumni have gone on to enroll at over 90 colleges and universities across the country and around the world.
The north metro program began in 2012 as Student Leadership Johns Creek (SLJC), later rebranding to SLNorth. From its first graduating class in 2014 through this year’s Class of 2027, the organization has built a track record of preparing students not just for college admission, but for the leadership challenges that await them once they arrive on campus and beyond.
“Fifteen years ago, we set out to build a program that would shape who our students become, not just where they go to school,” said Elizabeth Warren president of Student Leadership NORTH and a graduate of the flagship program Leadership Johns Creek.
“Seeing more than 600 of our alumni having graduated or are currently studying at colleges and universities across the country — and the world — is proof that the leadership skills, character and confidence we instill stay with our students long after they leave our program.”
A wide and growing reach
SLNorth’s college connections page reflects the geographic and academic diversity of its alumni base. Notable destinations include:
- Ivy League institutions including Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale
- Elite research universities including Stanford, MIT, Duke, Northwestern, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt and Johns Hopkins
- Top public flagships such as UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Virginia Tech and University of Texas at Austin
- Service academy members at the United States Military Academy at West Point
- An international destination at IE University in Spain
- Strong in-state representation at Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia, which together account for hundreds of SLNorth and SLJC alumni — a testament to the program’s deep roots in the Georgia community
“Our alumni aren’t just getting in — they’re showing up ready to lead,” said Irene Sanders, executive director of Student Leadership NORTH. “Whether it’s 250 students heading to Georgia Tech or a single student who found their fit at a school across the globe, every one of these names represents a young leader who started here.”
Fifteen years of growth
Since its first cohort in 2012, SLNorth has grown its program year after year. The program’s inaugural graduating Class of 2014 numbered just 32 students.
Today, Student Leadership NORTH’s active student population has grown to nearly 250 — an almost eight-fold increase that reflects both the program’s expanding reach across North Fulton County and the growing demand from students and families for the leadership development SLNorth provides.
“This anniversary isn’t just about looking back at where our students went — it’s about the foundation we’ve built so they could get there,” said Linda McCain, Student Leadership NORTH program director. “We’re proud of every name on that list, and we can’t wait to see where the next 15 years take us.”
A legacy of community service and scholarship
Over the past 14 years, every first-year SLNorth student has completed a community service project, which together totals more than 85 projects across the program’s history. During that same period, SLNorth has also completed three Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources grant projects.
One, entitled “Same Storm, Different Boats,” explored the effects of COVID-19 on the local community. The other two delved into the history of Georgia through more than 17 podcasts entitled “History in Our Backyard,” with the most recent series focused on America250 and Georgia’s role in the American Revolution.
“I am extremely proud of the scholarship these students have shown,” said Dr. Katherine Perrotta, associate professor at Mercer University, who has worked with SLNorth students on all of the program’s Library of Congress grant projects.
“They aren’t just learning history, they’re doing the work of historians, researching primary sources, asking sharp questions and producing scholarship at a level I’d expect from students well beyond high school,” Perrotta continued. “It speaks to both their talent and to a program that takes their intellectual growth seriously.”
For more about Student Leadership NORTH, visit studentleadershipnorth.com.
To view the organization’s college connections, visit studentleadershipnorth.com/alumni/college-connections.
