06/11/2026
When asked about her MCLP experience, Kari Sandhaas '12 shared: "What attracted me to MCLP were these three words. Service, multicultural, and leadership.
I learned about the service aspect of MCLP in the program’s first year. I was deeply engaged in my local community through various boards and volunteer roles, and was initially attracted to the MCLP community service projects as a potential resource to advance the work of the organizations I supported. I soon initiated my first MCLP project proposal. I later served 6 years on the MCLI/MCLP board, helping the organization transition from a start-up to a stable part of the constellation of nonprofits that nourish our local community.
Second was multicultural: two years prior I started a new job in a business environment with very little diversity and I sorely missed the multicultural focus of my previous career. I applied for the MCLP class of 2012 a year later, hoping to bring that balance back into my life. It gave me new friendships and lifelong connections with people from all walks of life.
Leadership was the third aspect of MCLP, the opportunity to participate in a leadership development program. My role at work was to design leadership training for front-line sales managers. While I brought decades of professional training design to that challenge, I wanted to further fine-tune my understanding of leadership behaviors through personal experience. MCLP did not disappoint; it reinforced leadership insights that led me to create successful new programs offering meaningful experiences for even more new leaders.
The impact MCLP had on me cannot be understated. It expanded my opportunities to serve, deepen multicultural connections, and inspire others into servant leadership!"
