While UNC Asheville is officially out for the summer, the work for student-athletes is ongoing with practices, prep for next season, summer school + more. One aspect about being a student-athlete, is there is limited time to hold down internships + jobs.

Luckily, the Leaders for Leaders Program, which pairs student-athletes with members of the Asheville community.

In 2013, Walnut Cove Realty (The Cliffs at Walnut Cove) and UNC Asheville started collaborating on how Walnut Cove members who have held impressive careers, can give back to local students.

The Leaders for Leaders program was founded, which connected 10 students with 10 mentors in it’s first year in 2013. This last year, 50 student-athletes ranging from sophomores to seniors were paired with 20 Walnut Cove mentors and 30 Asheville community members.

Kevin O’Connor resident at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, was a Leaders for Leaders mentor for Ahmad Thomas, UNCA basketball player – and together with the help of UNCA Athletics men’s and women’s basketball teams have formalized a basketball program for the Special Olympics.

The Walnut Cove community’s Members Association at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove encourages its residents to share their many years of experiences with over 40+ WNC non-profits through volunteerism. One of these, being the Leaders for Leaders program (where over half of the mentors come from).

The Walnut Cove Members Association will have their annual fundraising weekend June 1-4 at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove where their members work together to raise money which is granted to local, non-profit charities. So far, 270 grants have been made totaling more than $930,000.