January 2025 Dinner Seminar Recap
“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start now and make a brand new ending.” - Carl Bard
The Caldwell Fellows kicked off 2025 with our first dinner seminar continuing our themes of active citizenship and balancing leadership and civic engagement. Our special guests included U.S. Congresswoman Deborah Ross, serving her second term after a career as a civil rights lawyer, and Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell, our new mayor for the City of Raleigh with 15 years of prior public service experience serving as an NC State Senator, and North Carolina State Treasurer, she was the first and only woman to hold that role.
The event featured discussions facilitated by Dr. Odom, where Ross and Cowell shared insights into their civic journeys and the unique challenges they’ve faced as women in public service with leadership roles. Our fellows also engaged in small group conversations using the campus conversations model to explore how they can enhance their capacity for civic engagement and address potential challenges.
The evening concluded with updates on upcoming events, including engaging in our upcoming Semi-finalist and Selection Day, Gala, and opportunities for community engagement. The session ended with a quote from President Jimmy Carter, “What is needed now, more than ever, is leadership that steers us away from fear and fosters greater confidence in the inherent goodness and ingenuity of humanity.”
