Alumni Spotlight: Liesel Stanhope

Liesel Stanhope is our second alumni spotlight for April; a graduate of Chamblee High School (1998), of Duke University (2002), and of American University Washington College of Law (2011). She previously served in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer (Nuke) in Japan for five years and is currently a practicing attorney. Liesel is a member of the inaugural 21st Century Leaders Junior Board of Directors and when asked why she wanted to serve on the Junior Board she says: “I really enjoyed this program and have very fond memories. I met so many people who were different than me and led different lives than me and now (20 years later) I think that this may have been one of the most valuable parts of my education”.

Paint a brief picture of what you are doing now:
I work remotely as an attorney negotiating contracts between private equity firms. This is an amazing position for me because my husband is in the Navy and not only does this allow me to take my work with me when we move, but it allows me to spend more time with my kids while they are small and have time to spend theirs with me.

How did participating in 21CL transform you and lead you to where you are now?
I have had an unusual career path and looking back I think that the most important thing I gained from 21CL was the awareness that there are different types of leadership styles for different people and for different situations. I went to college on an ROTC scholarship and was commissioned as an officer in the Navy when I graduated. As a division officer on a forward deployed guided missile cruiser, less than a year out of college, I was responsible for the maintenance and deployment of the missiles on the ship. I didn’t fit into the mold of a typical naval officer and my time with 21CL allowed me to confidently forge my own leadership style in this challenging real world environment.

Which programs did you participate in, and when? What skills did you gain or improve through those programs?
(said in an old geezer’s voice) There was only one program when I went to 21CL! (back to my normal voice) In addition to an awareness of different types of leadership styles I really enjoyed meeting a diverse group of kids from across Georgia. I was also always really impressed with the involvement of business leaders in the program. Now that I am a working parent I understand how important time is and the time that the members of Atlanta’s business community put into the program reminds me that it does take a village to raise kids and I try to live up to the standard that those leaders set.

What was a memorable or ‘aha’ moment in 21CL
I have many fond memories of 21CL, but I can’t think of an aha! moment. I enjoyed every camp that I attended, but it was hard for me to realize the importance of what I learned there until I was faced with my own leadership challenges. I think that this awareness also allowed me to figure out what successful (and not so successful) leaders were doing around me.

Alumni Spotlight: Jasmine Judge

Jasmine Judge is a graduate of Grayson High School (2013) and Duke University (2017). As a 21st Century Leaders student she participated in three summer institutes;  Summer Leadership Institute @ Georgia Southern, EarthCare @ Berry College and G5 @ Emory University (now know as SYLI).  After meeting professionals in a variety of career fields including the brain behind the Coca-Cola “Fantanas” marketing plan. Jasmine has started her own career journey as a business consultant at Oracle but still has her eye on marketing.


Paint a picture of what you are doing now.

Currently, I am a business consultant at Oracle, helping to modernize citizen experience engagements throughout the public sector with Oracle cloud applications. Specifically, I assist Canadian public sector organizations with locating weaknesses in the flow of information from the public sector to citizens. I then provide consultation on how to alleviate these pain-points using modern citizen experience applications and generate IT solution plans.

How did participating in 21CL change you and/or lead you to where you are now?

The 21CL summer programs introduced me to highly motivated students who made me want to push myself outside of my comfort zone in a professional and personal manner. Whether we were talking to execs at Coca-Cola, completing team challenges, or playing games as a group, I felt constantly inspired to be a better version of myself. 21CL helped me build a foundation that led me to be successful for 4 years as a student at Duke University and now as a first-year professional in corporate America.

What was a memorable or ‘aha’ moment in 21CL? (Particular program, meeting a professional, etc.?)

I remember completely fan-girling over the woman at Coca-Cola responsible for conceptualizing and implementing the marketing campaign for the “Fantanas” (Don’t you wanta Fanta girls). Those commercials were immensely popular back then, and hearing her speak about the behind-the-scenes marketing processes and initiatives at Coke laid my foundation and interest in marketing. To this day, as I consider the long-term goals of my professional career, an option that I weigh heavily is getting an MBA and joining an innovative marketing team.

Which programs did you participate in, and when?

Summer Leadership Institute @ Georgia Southern – Summer 2010
EarthCare @ Berry College – Summer 2011
G5 @ Emory University (now know as SYLI) – Summer 2012


Are you an alumni of 21st Century Leaders and want to be featured in the next Alumni Spotlight? Update us on where you are now.