Leadership at ALA goes beyond academics. ALA students learn that leadership is a continuous process of learning, adapting, and inspiring positive change. Meet Bohlokoa, Michael, and Abderraouf - three ALA students who provide leadership in the dormitories as resident advisors, support their fellow students through the challenges of the ALA academic program, and serve the broader student body through their roles in student government.

Three times a year, the Academy community participates in a school-wide reading, writing, and discussion exercise known as Seminal Readings. Over the course of one week, all regular classes pause, and groups focus entirely on reading and discussing seminal texts. This exercise provides an opportunity for the Academy to engage with issues of enduring complexity and importance

In ALA 2023, we explicitly talk about bringing our alumni “DNA” back to the core of ALA. In 2018, we had 4 alumni on staff and aspired to have 10 alumni working at ALA by 2023. During the 2022-2023 academic year, we had 13 alumni on staff (~8% of our staffulty!). Whether it is Natalia Sikombe ’12, Nandi Mgwaba ’12, or Deepshikha Parmessur ‘13 teaching Entrepreneurial Leadership, or Thandie Ramme ’14 keeping alumni connected to the magic of ALA through the ALA Quad social media pages, alumni are increasingly returning and making ALA an important step in their professional careers.

On June 15th, 2023, ALA celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2021. We bid farewell to these extraordinary young leaders who have left an indelible mark on ALA, guided by the African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Each graduate’s success at ALA symbolized personal growth and an unwavering commitment to collaborative action, community engagement, and the pursuit of positive change in Africa and beyond.