The Goff Strategic Leadership Center is an on-campus resource for students to receive unique opportunities by way of academic courses, community and transformational hands-on experiences. The three courses that Goff offers are Scholars, Trailblazers and Explorers. Dr. Ruchi Watson, managing director of the Goff Strategic Leadership Center said. “It’s not very often that you are thrown into a real project and meant to kind of ‘drive the bus.’ Students in Goff are doing that.”

Goff courses

Goff courses give students hands-on experience and the opportunity to earn a $1,000 (or more!) scholarship. In Goff courses, students partner with real companies, organizations and nonprofits through guest lectures, projects, and internships. Learn more about each class here or by reading on.

Explorers is a course that pairs students with a for-credit internship while engaging in a concurrent leadership/professional skills class. Explorers allows students to build professional skills, test-drive an industry and access extra support during their first professional experience. Explorers have interned for a variety of organizations including Zions Bank and the Salt Lake County Health Department.

“Through Goff Explorers I learned that you can really do whatever you put your mind to,” said international studies major Addie Collins, “I didn’t think it was possible for me to have an internship where I would be working one–on-one with the CEO, but through Goff Explorers, I had that support behind me to guide me through each week and each day.”

Trailblazers includes a deep-dive on strategic leadership principles while completing a project with an organization over the semester. Trailblazers have worked with agencies like The Other Side Academy and TEDxSLC.

“It served as that lasting impact,” said finance major Ethan Black, “I’ve drawn back to that experience more than any other course I have taken.” When working with real project clients, students get to take lead in solving a specific strategic challenge with the tools they learn in the classroom.

Scholars is a year-long course where students complete multiple projects. A few previous project partners include IntelliReefs: Sustainable Marine Solutions and Ken Garff Automotive Group.

“I never expected to learn more than just working in teams, working with businesses, and gaining all these new skills,” said psychology major Lily Wagner, “Because it is such a teamwork-based class, I was spending so many hours with these kids I just met and they’ve become some of my best friends.”

Goff family

Lasting impact coincides with lasting relationships in the Goff Family. From alumni to current and prospective students, the connections within Goff are immense and unmatched. “Goff is really helpful not only in providing me with that real-world experience,” said finance major Sabah Sial, “but also connecting me with different people who I remain friends with to this day.”

Goff courses are just as innovative as they are effective. The aim is to bring students out of the textbook and into the real world to actively apply their knowledge and skills. Goff teaches valuable professional skills, but more importantly, Goff gives students the confidence to add value and create a lasting impact on the world.