Lucy Buller shines in Albright Young Women Leaders Program
Buller reflects on the experiences, concepts, and connections that she developed at the prestigious Albright Young Women Leaders Program.
After gathering the necessary funds, securing a letter of recommendation from Christy Dougherty, and answering a stack of essay questions, Lucy Buller of Newton, and a student from Bethel College recently had the remarkable opportunity to participate in the prestigious Albright Young Women Leaders Program.
Named in honor of Madeleine K. Albright, the first female Secretary of State, the program created by the Department of State is designed to empower young women through a global educational exchange. It aims to redefine what leadership and foster deep connections among participants from around the world.
The five-week-long program is uniquely diverse. It brought together six American undergraduate women (four from Kansas and two from Indiana) and over eighty international undergraduate women from countries and cities such as Pakistan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Morocco, India, and Zambia.
As one of the six American women, Buller began her summer in Washington D.C. where the participants engaged in panels, lectures, and discussions with prominent figures in international affairs and public service. Among these were U.S. ambassadors like Barbara Bodine and other influential people like the Chief of Staff to Secretary of State, Suzy George.
Following the introduction in D.C., Buller joined a group of 23 participants and headed to the University of Kansas campus. Over the summer, the group traveled to several universities, including Georgetown University in D.C., St. Louis University in Missouri, and the University of Missouri in Columbia. They even attended a KC Current soccer match.
The program’s design emphasized exposure to diverse perspectives and cultures, encouraging participants to learn from one another, regardless of their backgrounds. However, most of the activities took place on the KU campus.
The core of the Albright Young Women’s Program involved varied, challenging coursework aimed at developing essential skills for navigating the complexities of the modern professional world. Though the program operated on a pass-fail basis without traditional grades, the coursework was rigorous and diverse. Buller and her peers delivered presentations, created LinkedIn profiles, gave speeches, undertook significant projects, and even wrote poetry.
One standout project required participants to identify a problem within their hometowns and propose solutions. Buller chose to examine violence against LGBTQ groups in Harvey County and Kansas as a whole. When asked why she selected this topic, Buller explained, “the most important part of the project was to make it so queer women do not have to leave their hometown to feel safe.”
The purpose of all these activities was to help Buller and the other participants reconsider the meaning of leadership. The program emphasizes adaptive leadership– a concept that challenges the traditional view that leadership is merely holding authority over people. It encouraged participants to inspire and rally others regardless of their position or status. The program taught Buller and her peers that leadership is not determined by hierarchy but by the decisions individuals make.
Beyond the educational experience, one of the greatest benefits of the program was the community and sisterhood that developed among the participants.
Though five weeks may not seem long, the young women forged deep connections despite their diverse backgrounds. Each had relied on her leadership skills and determination to travel thousands of miles to participate, resulting in an assembly of powerful individuals with unique stories.
“No matter where we were from,” Buller said, “by the end, I had found twenty-three other parts of my soul in these women.”
It's no surprise that Buller and her peers bonded quickly, and even after the program concluded, many remained in contact.
“I’ll never forget the incredible concepts and connections I found through this program.”
Lucy Buller
“I’ll never forget the incredible concepts and connections I found through this program,” Buller said.