June 13, 2025
Undergraduates learning to lead real-world change
The 2025 Spring CELEbration produced by the University of Washington’s Community Engagement and Leadership Education Center showcased the dedication and impact of Mary Gates Leadership Scholars and CELE Center program participants like Otoniel Velasquez-Paz, Braedyn Reed and Finn Guzman — all committed to leadership, community engagement and civic health. The annual event highlighted projects spanning educational equity and mentorship, civic participation and environmental justice.
Through table talks, poster presentations and lightning talks, students connected academic learning with real-world change and demonstrated a powerful truth: When supported in aligning their values with leadership, students’ impact extends far beyond the walls of campus.
“The Spring CELEbration highlights students’ deep engagement with community issues and their work to strengthen civic health and democracy,” said Fran Lo, CELE Center executive director. Here’s how these graduating seniors are preparing to take the lessons, skills and relationships they’ve cultivated through CELE Center programs into new chapters in policy, entrepreneurship, education and beyond.
Community collaborators and leaders
Supported by CELE Center programming and Mary Gates Leadership Scholarships, Velasquez-Paz, Reed and Guzman, along with all CELE Center graduating seniors, enter the next stage of their lives as community leaders. They will continue shaping neighborhoods, institutions and systems, demonstrating ethical leadership that sets the future of our communities and democracy in motion.
Civic leadership in action
Otoniel Velasquez-Paz, ’25
Major: Environmental Engineering
Programs: Dream Project, Mary Gates Leadership Scholar
Otoniel Velasquez-Paz is an advocate for community college pathways, citing their strong language support and affordability.Photo by Jayden Becles
Otoniel Velasquez-Paz works to expand college and career access for students in communities where a college-going culture is still developing. He is a Mary Gates Leadership Scholar and Dream Project mentor at Evergreen High School, located in the Southwest Seattle neighborhood of White Center. There, he supports the school’s college and career center by providing guidance and resources tailored to students’ goals.
As a bilingual Spanish and English speaker, Velasquez-Paz understands the unique challenges many primarily Spanish-speaking students face in the college process. These students often have limited opportunities to explore the full range of postsecondary options and need more personalized support to plan for life after high school.
“We support students in achieving whatever dreams they have,” he said. “Our goal is not just to push them toward college; it’s to support any post-high-school plans they have.”
Growing up in Moses Lake, a community with a large Hispanic population and many families involved in seasonal work, Velasquez-Paz was shaped by mentors who helped guide his path. “As a student from this community myself, I saw the need for targeted support,” he said. Velasquez-Paz launched a series of postsecondary panels focused on empowering students to take charge of their own futures.
A key feature of his project was a live document capturing panelists’ responses, translated into multiple languages including Spanish and Vietnamese. “Many students come to me wanting to speak Spanish,” Velasquez-Paz said. “Having written knowledge in their language makes a difference.”
Velasquez-Paz is an advocate for community college pathways, citing their strong language support and affordability. He attended community college before transferring to the University of Washington, and his mother is currently studying English at the same college.
He sees his work as part of a broader effort to offer hope and access amidst recent changes in federal policy that have increased barriers for undocumented students. “The goal of my project is to show students that despite these barriers, there are still people and resources they can rely on to succeed,” he said.
Velasquez-Paz received a Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship, a $5,000 award that supports undergraduates developing their leadership skills through hands-on experience, reflection and mentorship. The funding eased his financial burden and allowed him to focus on outreach and coordination. “I’ve developed skills in collaboration, public speaking and event planning, all of which are helping me grow as a leader,” he said.
His academic and leadership experiences are deeply intertwined. “Environmental justice is closely linked to social justice,” he said. “This work has given me a better understanding of the real-world impacts of environmental decisions.”
Velasquez-Paz plans to enter the private sector after graduation to gain experience, with the long-term goal of working in policy. “Engineers can design great solutions,” he said, “but without government support, nothing happens. Civic engagement has to be part of the work.”
Building more connected communities
Braedyn Reed, ’25
Major: Community, Environment and Planning
Programs: Husky Leadership Certificate, Leadership minor, Mary Gates Leadership Scholar
Braedyn Reed connected her diverse experiences in mentoring, entrepreneurship and nonprofit work into a cohesive leadership philosophy and earned a Husky Leadership Certificate.Photo by Jayden Becles
Braedyn Reed, ’25, believes leadership begins with curiosity and a deep love for humanity. As a participant in the Husky Leadership Certificate program, a Husky 100 honoree, and co-founder of Tread, a student-led platform connecting consumers with local businesses that share their values, Reed shared insights on leading with intention, service and impact in her lightning talk.
The Husky Leadership Certificate guides students to reflect on their leadership journey throughout their undergraduate education. Each participant is paired with a UW faculty, staff or alumni mentor and creates an e-portfolio to articulate their growth, values and vision for continued impact.
For Reed, that reflection has been key to her leadership growth. “I enjoy pushing myself to grow, but there’s no greater challenge or reward than inspiring positive change in the people and systems around me,” Reed said. “Seeing the impact I can create is deeply fulfilling.”
Reed’s drive to create meaningful impact led to the creation of Tread. One afternoon over coffee, Reed and her Tread co-founder began to ask why it was so hard to learn a local business’s moral values; like paying a living wage, practicing sustainability or fostering inclusion. That question sparked action.
“Tread is about putting your money where your heart is,” Reed said. “You can shape your community by choosing who and what you support.” Still in development, the platform has recruited volunteers and partners, built a website and begun testing its viability; a real-world experiment rooted in a year of community-building.
Over the past year, Reed has served on the U District Partnership’s Business Improvement Area Ratepayer Advisory Board. What started as an exploratory email turned into a seat at the table and deeper engagement with the neighborhood’s complex ecosystem.
“I found the behind-the-scenes look at how neighborhoods function incredibly interesting,” she said. “I learned about local businesses and municipal systems, and I shared those insights with my UW network. Any chance to get people involved is worth sharing.”
The Husky Leadership Certificate helped Reed connect her diverse experiences in mentoring, entrepreneurship and nonprofit work into a cohesive leadership philosophy. “The HLC pushed me to see my leadership as taking ownership. That it’s about stepping up to solve problems and building trust, not titles,” she said.
That mindset has helped her navigate uncertainty. “One big lesson: Don’t think too many steps ahead. Focus on the present, trust your mentors and teammates, and take it one step at a time.”
“Braedyn’s motivation to effect change, along with her introspection on leadership, truly shines,” shared mentor Sean Gehrke, assistant dean in Undergraduate Academic Affairs. “Her commitment to improving communities stands out.”
Reed sees leadership programs as transformative. “The power isn’t just in learning, it’s in the shift of seeing yourself as a leader. Confidence grows, skills build and ideas take root.”
Her advice to her peers: “Don’t wait to lead. Whether or not you have a formal role, ask how you can contribute and build a better world.”
After graduation, Reed plans to continue exploring community development strategies like Tread, apply her civic leadership skills during her internship and embrace opportunities. “I don’t have all the answers yet, but I’m excited to keep learning and experimenting.”
Reflecting on leadership
Finn Guzman, ’25
Major: Education, Communities and Organizations
Programs: Husky Leadership Certificate, Dream Project alum
Finn Guzman will continue in the UW Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership master’s program, where he plans to make athletics and education more inclusive and accessible for all students.Photo by Jayden Becles
For Finn Guzman, ’25, leadership means building trust, listening with intention and creating space for others. A first-generation Latino college student from Moses Lake, Washington, Guzman grew up in a community with limited access to sports and educational resources, an experience that shaped his commitment to service and advocacy in athletics.
During the evening’s table talk, Guzman shared how he explored authentic, inclusive leadership through the Husky Leadership Certificate and the Dream Project.
“The HLC gave me time to be introspective, to reflect on the person I was, who I am now and who I’m becoming,” he said. “It helped me understand that leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s about showing up, creating space and leading with empathy.”
Through the Dream Project, Guzman mentored high school students; many of whom, like him, were the first in their families to pursue higher education. That experience deepened his understanding of community-based education and helped him connect classroom theory to real-world impact.
“In class, we talk about equity and access,” he said. “But it becomes real when you’re sitting with a student trying to figure out college on their own. That’s when you see what equity looks like in action.”
As an intern and squad leader with Rainier Athletes, Guzman continued to grow a leadership style rooted in relational care, flexibility and accountability.
“For me, coaching is more than sports,” he said. “It’s about supporting the whole student-athlete and making sure they feel safe, can show up as themselves and have someone who believes in them. I try to be the person I didn’t have growing up.”
After graduating this spring, Guzman will continue as a Double Dawg in the UW Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership master’s program, where he plans to make athletics and education more inclusive and accessible for all students.
“Sports have always been a huge part of my life,” he said. “I’m excited for the growth, challenges and opportunities this next chapter will bring.”
What you care about can change the world
When you support the Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center, you help Huskies create a more just, equitable and thriving world. Join us today in advancing the intelligent, compassionate and ethical leaders our communities and our democracy demand.
Gallery of service and leadership
Enjoy this sampling of photos from the 2025 Spring CELEbration of Service and Leadership!
