Leadership Legacy Award

The 2014 CDLS Leadership Legacy Award application will be available in January 2014.

Congratulations to Mr. Louis Chebetar, the recipient of the 2013 CDLS Leadership Legacy Award.  While at Rider, Louis was able to make significant and lasting impacts in numerous campus organizations.  His drive to build relationships with people, as well as his determination to mentor younger leaders so they may develop their leadership capacities, was reflected in his strong connection to Rider’s Community Values Statement.  With the Rider Runners, he developed and implemented the annual Run Over Violence 5K, which has raised significant funds for Womanspace.  Additionally, his contributions to the SGA will continue to assist in the more efficient and effective management of the organization and provide means with which to maintain standards and accountability.

Past Winners

  • 2010: Heather Fischler
  • 2011: Michael Zilly
  • 2012: Brian Williams

General Information

Created in the 2009-10 academic year and coordinated by Rider University’s Center for the Development of Leadership Skills, the CDLS Leadership Legacy Award is presented to one graduating Rider University student at the annual Awards Banquet at the end of each academic year.

This prestigious recognition is presented to a Rider senior who has demonstrated excellence in leadership through service to others while at Rider University. The recipient of this award will demonstrate that they have:

  • Worked toward promoting positive change on behalf of others and society
  • Created a leadership culture within their organization(s) that focuses on providing service to others
  • Valued team leadership and inclusiveness above individual leadership
  • Led their organization(s) members with a “long term view” by mentoring and preparing future leaders
  • Made significant leadership contributions to their organization(s) and to the Rider community that will continue beyond their time at Rider (e.g., programming, events)
  • Led in their leadership position with integrity and the respect of their organization(s) membership and the Rider community

Additionally, candidates will show that they have provided true leadership and service to the University by demonstrating they have worked toward:

  • Ensuring that whoever comes into contact with Rider has a positive experience.
  • Developing a culture where everyone feels appreciated, involved, supported and challenged to their best.
  • Leaving an improved Rider University to the next generation of leaders.

Additional Criteria:

  1. Candidates must be a senior graduating either the Spring semester the award is received or as of the August or December graduation date immediately after the award is received.
  2. Candidates need not demonstrate a breadth of involvement and contributions. Rather, the candidate must demonstrate that their leadership has been focused on service to others and has made a significant and lasting impact in positively changing the Rider/community culture, whether it be through one or multiple organizations at Rider. Examples of involvement include, volunteer student representation, committee involvement, academic organization leadership, student organization leadership, community service participation, residence hall leadership, or athletic leadership and participation.
  3. Candidates must be in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time of consideration.
  4. Candidates must not have been on any form of academic probation or have been found responsible for being in violation of any University policy during the past academic year.
  5. Candidates are eligible to receive this award only once.

Application packets are reviewed by the members of the CDLS Advisory Board. When evaluating nominees for an award, the selection committee looks for the extent to which nominees have demonstrated the above mentioned criteria. CDLS Advisory Board decisions are final and are kept confidential until the awards ceremony.

Interview Round of the Selection Process

From the students who have best demonstrated their fulfillment of the award criteria through their application, the top candidates for the award will be chosen to participate in a 30 minute interview with the selection committee during a designated date in March.  Based upon the interview and the overall application, an award recipient will be determined.

All candidates will be notified of their application status in the beginning of March.

Completing the Nomination Packet

You may nominate yourself and/or another person for the CDLS Leadership Legacy Award.

The 2014 application packet for the CDLS Leadership Legacy Award will available in January 2014.  The exact due date for complete application packets will be determined in January, but is typically the end of February.  Recommendation letters should be submitted with the nomination packet, and not be sent separately.

We recommend that all forms and letters be completed in a professional manner, as well as any supporting documentation. All contents should be on white paper, paper clipped together (not stapled), and three-hole punched, with the award form on top.

All completed nomination packets should be submitted to:
The Center for the Development of Leadership Skills, Rider University
Attn: Laura Seplaki
Sweigart Hall, Room 250
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648