Sheldon Hitchens has a heart for developing leaders. As an Organizational Culture Strategist in the Division of Organizational Culture and Community Impact in the Office of Organizational Culture and Strategy, Hitchens is responsible for ensuring that the college maintains a positive work culture for all community members. In his position, he brings his expertise in leadership development to create opportunities for the Madison College community.
A native of DeRidder, Louisiana, Hitchens attended Tulane University, where he graduated cum laude with a major in English. He went on to earn a Master’s degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University. Hitchens moved to Madison in 2021 and has been at Madison College since 2023. He credits early experiences in college-based youth leadership programs with helping him to desire something beyond his small-town home had to offer and to see himself as one with a voice that could have impact beyond his imagination.
Given the impact that youth leadership programs had on his life trajectory, Hitchens is committed to creating those opportunities for today’s youth. He says, “The future of our community, our institutions and our world lies in our collective commitment to cultivating leaders who are grounded in service, empathetic to the plight of others, and who are able to communicate with clarity about their convictions.” Hitchens is now developing a program at Madison College that supports young people’s development in these three areas.
The Changemaker Leadership Program is for high school students in the Madison Metropolitan School District who are interested in developing as community change agents. The program is supported by the Division of Organizational Culture and Community Impact, the Office of Organizational Culture and Strategy, and the School of Business and Applied Arts.
The purpose of the Changemaker Leadership Program is to equip young people to respond to issues in their community while building a pathway to college. Throughout the program, students will work with coaches in leadership development, digital storytelling, art, and participatory research. Coaches will include local college and university faculty and staff, nationally-renowned arts educators, community leaders, and Hitchens himself. The goal is for the students to learn tools of research and leadership to put these tools to work in campaigns of interest to the local community. They will use creative expression through visual art and digital storytelling to raise awareness or engage in policy advocacy related to these issues (but no prior art experience is required). The result will be a well-researched, engaging product that will not only share their stories, but also bring those stories together with other data in a compelling message.
A key element of the Changemaker Leadership Program is that students will earn college credit by enrolling in a Social Media and Marketing course in the Madison College School of Business and Applied Arts at no cost. Their work will be evaluated for a letter grade and they will earn credit based on successful completion of the program.
Another key element to Hitchens’ plan is partnering with local elders who have stood steadfast as leaders in the Madison community for decades. He will bring the elders in to work with the young people by lending their expertise and their experience in support of their projects. Hitchens sees this multi-generational collaboration as vital to the program because the elders can provide long-range vision, and the young people can offer them fresh perspective.
Although the college credit is important, Hitchens believes that the greatest benefit of the Changemaker Leadership Program is in the young people’s personal development. “Being a changemaker is about having the audacity to believe in yourself,” he says. “Madison College understands that this program is for all our futures and we are honored to champion this work in our community.”
For more information on the Changemaker Leadership Program, contact changemaker@madisoncollege.edu.
