June 13, 2025
Undergraduates learning to lead real-world change
The 2025 Spring CELEbration produced by the 91探花鈥檚 showcased the dedication and impact of Mary Gates Leadership Scholars and CELE Center program participants like Otoniel Velasquez-Paz, Braedyn Reed and Finn Guzman 鈥 all committed to leadership, community engagement and civic health. The annual event highlighted projects spanning educational equity and mentorship, civic participation and environmental justice.
Through table talks, poster presentations and lightning talks, students connected academic learning with real-world change and demonstrated a powerful truth: When supported in aligning their values with leadership, students鈥 impact extends far beyond the walls of campus.
鈥淭he Spring CELEbration highlights students鈥 deep engagement with community issues and their work to strengthen civic health and democracy,鈥 said Fran Lo, CELE Center executive director. Here鈥檚 how these graduating seniors are preparing to take the lessons, skills and relationships they鈥檝e cultivated through CELE Center programs into new chapters in policy, entrepreneurship, education and beyond.
Community collaborators and leaders
Supported by CELE Center programming and Mary Gates Leadership Scholarships,聽 Velasquez-Paz, Reed and Guzman, along with all CELE Center graduating seniors, enter the next stage of their lives as community leaders. They will continue shaping neighborhoods, institutions and systems, demonstrating ethical leadership that sets the future of our communities and democracy in motion.
Civic leadership in action
Otoniel Velasquez-Paz, 鈥25
Major: Environmental Engineering
Programs: Dream Project, Mary Gates Leadership Scholar
Otoniel Velasquez-Paz is an advocate for community college pathways, citing their strong language support and affordability.Photo by Jayden Becles
Otoniel Velasquez-Paz works to expand college and career access for students in communities where a college-going culture is still developing. He is a Mary Gates Leadership Scholar and mentor at Evergreen High School, located in the Southwest Seattle neighborhood of White Center. There, he supports the school鈥檚 college and career center by providing guidance and resources tailored to students鈥 goals.
As a bilingual Spanish and English speaker, Velasquez-Paz understands the unique challenges many primarily Spanish-speaking students face in the college process. These students often have limited opportunities to explore the full range of postsecondary options and need more personalized support to plan for life after high school.
鈥淲e support students in achieving whatever dreams they have,鈥 he said. 鈥淥ur goal is not just to push them toward college; it鈥檚 to support any post-high-school plans they have.鈥
Growing up in Moses Lake, a community with a large Hispanic population and many families involved in seasonal work, Velasquez-Paz was shaped by mentors who helped guide his path. 鈥淎s a student from this community myself, I saw the need for targeted support,鈥 he said. Velasquez-Paz launched a series of postsecondary panels focused on empowering students to take charge of their own futures.
A key feature of his project was a live document capturing panelists’ responses, translated into multiple languages including Spanish and Vietnamese. 鈥淢any students come to me wanting to speak Spanish,鈥 Velasquez-Paz said. 鈥淗aving written knowledge in their language makes a difference.鈥
Velasquez-Paz is an advocate for community college pathways, citing their strong language support and affordability. He attended community college before transferring to the 91探花, and his mother is currently studying English at the same college.
He sees his work as part of a broader effort to offer hope and access amidst recent changes in federal policy that have increased barriers for undocumented students. 鈥淭he goal of my project is to show students that despite these barriers, there are still people and resources they can rely on to succeed,鈥 he said.
Velasquez-Paz received a a $5,000 award that supports undergraduates developing their leadership skills through hands-on experience, reflection and mentorship. The funding eased his financial burden and allowed him to focus on outreach and coordination. 鈥淚鈥檝e developed skills in collaboration, public speaking and event planning, all of which are helping me grow as a leader,鈥 he said.
His academic and leadership experiences are deeply intertwined. 鈥淓nvironmental justice is closely linked to social justice,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his work has given me a better understanding of the real-world impacts of environmental decisions.鈥
Velasquez-Paz plans to enter the private sector after graduation to gain experience, with the long-term goal of working in policy. 鈥淓ngineers can design great solutions,鈥 he said, 鈥渂ut without government support, nothing happens. Civic engagement has to be part of the work.鈥
Building more connected communities
Braedyn Reed, 鈥25
Major: Community, Environment and Planning
Programs: Husky Leadership Certificate, Leadership minor, Mary Gates Leadership Scholar
Braedyn Reed connected her diverse experiences in mentoring, entrepreneurship and nonprofit work into a cohesive leadership philosophy and earned a Husky Leadership Certificate.Photo by Jayden Becles
Braedyn Reed, 鈥25, believes leadership begins with curiosity and a deep love for humanity. As a participant in the program, a Husky 100 honoree, and co-founder of Tread, a student-led platform connecting consumers with local businesses that share their values, Reed shared insights on leading with intention, service and impact in her lightning talk.
The Husky Leadership Certificate guides students to reflect on their leadership journey throughout their undergraduate education. Each participant is paired with a 91探花faculty, staff or alumni mentor and creates an e-portfolio to articulate their growth, values and vision for continued impact.
For Reed, that reflection has been key to her leadership growth. 鈥淚 enjoy pushing myself to grow, but there鈥檚 no greater challenge or reward than inspiring positive change in the people and systems around me,鈥 Reed said. 鈥淪eeing the impact I can create is deeply fulfilling.鈥
Reed鈥檚 drive to create meaningful impact led to the creation of Tread. One afternoon over coffee, Reed and her Tread co-founder began to ask why it was so hard to learn a local business鈥檚 moral values; like paying a living wage, practicing sustainability or fostering inclusion. That question sparked action.
鈥淭read is about putting your money where your heart is,鈥 Reed said. 鈥淵ou can shape your community by choosing who and what you support.鈥 Still in development, the platform has recruited volunteers and partners, built a website and begun testing its viability; a real-world experiment rooted in a year of community-building.
Over the past year, Reed has served on the U District Partnership鈥檚 Business Improvement Area Ratepayer Advisory Board. What started as an exploratory email turned into a seat at the table and deeper engagement with the neighborhood鈥檚 complex ecosystem.
鈥淚 found the behind-the-scenes look at how neighborhoods function incredibly interesting,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 learned about local businesses and municipal systems, and I shared those insights with my 91探花network. Any chance to get people involved is worth sharing.鈥
The Husky Leadership Certificate helped Reed connect her diverse experiences in mentoring, entrepreneurship and nonprofit work into a cohesive leadership philosophy. 鈥淭he HLC pushed me to see my leadership as taking ownership. That it鈥檚 about stepping up to solve problems and building trust, not titles,鈥 she said.
That mindset has helped her navigate uncertainty. 鈥淥ne big lesson: Don鈥檛 think too many steps ahead. Focus on the present, trust your mentors and teammates, and take it one step at a time.鈥
鈥淏raedyn鈥檚 motivation to effect change, along with her introspection on leadership, truly shines,鈥 shared mentor Sean Gehrke, assistant dean in Undergraduate Academic Affairs. 鈥淗er commitment to improving communities stands out.鈥
Reed sees leadership programs as transformative. 鈥淭he power isn鈥檛 just in learning, it鈥檚 in the shift of seeing yourself as a leader. Confidence grows, skills build and ideas take root.鈥
Her advice to her peers: 鈥淒on鈥檛 wait to lead. Whether or not you have a formal role, ask how you can contribute and build a better world.鈥
After graduation, Reed plans to continue exploring community development strategies like Tread, apply her civic leadership skills during her internship and embrace opportunities. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have all the answers yet, but I鈥檓 excited to keep learning and experimenting.鈥
Reflecting on leadership
Finn Guzman, 鈥25
Major: Education, Communities and Organizations
Programs: Husky Leadership Certificate, Dream Project alum
Finn Guzman will continue in the 91探花Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership master鈥檚 program, where he plans to make athletics and education more inclusive and accessible for all students.Photo by Jayden Becles
For Finn Guzman, 鈥25, leadership means building trust, listening with intention and creating space for others. A first-generation Latino college student from Moses Lake, Washington, Guzman grew up in a community with limited access to sports and educational resources, an experience that shaped his commitment to service and advocacy in athletics.
During the evening鈥檚 table talk, Guzman shared how he explored authentic, inclusive leadership through the Husky Leadership Certificate and the Dream Project.
鈥淭he HLC gave me time to be introspective, to reflect on the person I was, who I am now and who I鈥檓 becoming,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t helped me understand that leadership isn鈥檛 about being in charge. It鈥檚 about showing up, creating space and leading with empathy.鈥
Through the Dream Project, Guzman mentored high school students; many of whom, like him, were the first in their families to pursue higher education. That experience deepened his understanding of community-based education and helped him connect classroom theory to real-world impact.
鈥淚n class, we talk about equity and access,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut it becomes real when you鈥檙e sitting with a student trying to figure out college on their own. That鈥檚 when you see what equity looks like in action.鈥
As an intern and squad leader with , Guzman continued to grow a leadership style rooted in relational care, flexibility and accountability.
鈥淔or me, coaching is more than sports,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about supporting the whole student-athlete and making sure they feel safe, can show up as themselves and have someone who believes in them. I try to be the person I didn鈥檛 have growing up.鈥
After graduating this spring, Guzman will continue as a Double Dawg in the 91探花Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership master鈥檚 program, where he plans to make athletics and education more inclusive and accessible for all students.
鈥淪ports have always been a huge part of my life,鈥 he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited for the growth, challenges and opportunities this next chapter will bring.鈥
What you care about can change the world
When you support the Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center, you help Huskies create a more just, equitable and thriving world. Join us today in advancing the intelligent, compassionate and ethical leaders our communities and our democracy demand.
Gallery of service and leadership
Enjoy this sampling of photos from the 2025 Spring CELEbration of Service and Leadership!
