Legends & Leaders

College is a time for personal growth.

But any Biology 101 student knows that growth (personal or otherwise) requires the right environment. Collecting the revealing and deeply personal stories of twelve UT alumni who became leaders in their fields, Leadership Gets Personal honors the transformative impact of the Forty Acres on those who learn and grow there.

  • “Mentoring is essential. Authentic leaders are people who lift others up.”

    - Alejandra Y. Castillo

  • “Leadership today is a vision of a world that’s more equitable, that puts more value on the things that we all are experiencing.”

    - Dr. Brené Brown

  • “You have to learn how to overcome [personal failure] and press forward. It may not sound like leadership, but I think it’s personal leadership.”

    - Admiral (Ret.) William H. McRaven

Leadership Gets Personal

Finding Purpose, Transforming Lives & Never Giving Up

About the Leaders and Legends

Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award- winning actor and #1 New York Times best-selling author, was destined for law school, but with the encouragement of his UT community, he realized he was a born storyteller.

Brené Brown, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Dare to Lead, struggled for years before finding her purpose in the Social Work Department.

Dr. Amy Ho knew she wanted to change the American health care system, and at UT she gained the confidence and skills to SUSAN ENGELKING make a difference.

Astronaut Karen Nyberg was a shy kid; her UT graduate studies propelled her to space. And Darren Walker would go on to become president of the Ford Foundation, taking inspiration from the financial aid counselors who made sure he got the education he yearned for. For these and other outstanding alumni profiled here, the road was often rocky. Through perseverance, humility, and collaboration, they learned not just to exercise leadership but to live it.

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Meet the authors

Dr. Nan McRaven (Left) is an educator, thought leader, collaborator, and strategic advisor to a range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, governments, small businesses, and foundations. Nan has been an elected member of the Board of Trustees of Austin Community College since 2001. She holds a BA in government from Sam Houston State University and a master’s from the LBJ School of Public Affairs and a doctorate in educational leadership.

Susan Engelking (Right) is a writer, the founder of the Institute for Community MicroMobility, and a consultant on marketing communications and economic development. She is the author of Tiny Transit: Cut Carbon Emissions in Your City Before It’s Too Late. She holds two degrees from UT Austin.

Learn more

Press tour dates.

March 24

Austin Public Library | 1-8
Austin, TX

June 18

Venue Name
New York, NY

June 16

Venue Name
New York, NY

June 20

Venue Name
New York, NY