Leadership Certificate

Beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year, this award will be replaced by the John R. Lewis College Good Trouble Academy (GTA). Learn more about the GTA here!

One of the primary goals of John R. Lewis College is to help students actively engage in the college community and build leadership skills that reflect our theme of "Social Justice & Community." To formally recognize student leadership contributions and experiences, qualifying graduates before the 2023-2024 academic year could receive a Social Justice & Community Leadership Certificate and a special stole to highlight their achievements. This was a tangible honor that could be highlighted in your resume and graduate school applications and was available to all John R. Lewis College affiliates, regardless of whether they entered UCSC as a first-year or as a transfer student. Graduates who are not affiliated with our colleges were also eligible if they held leadership positions at College Nine and John R. Lewis College.

The Social Justice & Community Leadership Certificate was awarded to students who participated in leadership related to the John R. Lewis College’s theme during roughly half of their time at UCSC (approximately one year’s worth for transfers and two years' for non-transfers). This leadership could have been either over a span of multiple years, or one very leadership-packed year, as long as all experiences added up to the minimum requirements.