As an alumni of Crossroads Emerging Leaders Program 2020, I have an opportunity to recommend a list of potential candidates for CELP 2021.

The Crossroads Emerging Leaders Program (CELP) offers a fully funded academic and professional development opportunity for students around the world.

The program provides a fully funded array of educational resources, connections to leading faculty members, mentorship opportunities, and skill-building workshops to students from backgrounds of financial adversity in over 115 countries.

Eligibility Criteria:
• be aged 18-26
• be the first member of their family (or first of a generation) to attend university
• comes from a low-income background
• have not studied, worked or travelled outside their country

Eligible applicants will participate in a multi-tier selection process, with access to resources and instruction commensurate with advancement through program stages. The first stage of the program will be delivered virtually through HarvardX and open to all applicants who fulfill the eligibility criteria. Candidates will be required to complete one or more HarvardX courses, curated across a range of disciplines specifically for Crossroads students. Upon successful completion, students will receive a HarvardX certificate and take a virtual psychometric and aptitude assessment to unlock their strengths and unique abilities. Students qualifying for the third stage will participate in an interdisciplinary seminar series hosted by leading faculty members at Harvard and other affiliated institutions.

The final stage of the program consists of an intensive finalist program including a case-study based curriculum curated by Harvard professors, peer groups based on regional and academic affinities, mentor talks by field leaders, and financial and social resources for pursuing future studies or effecting change in the students’ communities.

- Abdul Qayyum