In a world where leadership skills are transformative for personal and professional growth, Dallas College offers a catalogue of courses to build essential skills for academic success and beyond.
The Student Leadership Institute (SLI) is a non-credit program hidden within the catalog that helps students develop skills for success in any field.
The SLI program at Dallas College is a non-credit course focused on developing leadership skills, such as communication, team building, strategic and critical thinking.
“It is imperative that every person understands their critical thinking and how they want to be able to think,” said Antonio Soresh, coordinator of student engagement programs and initiatives.
The class is offered fully online, featuring bi-weekly virtual meetings and regular discussion posts to keep students actively engaged. Its capstone project challenges participants to apply what they’ve learned in real-world situations such as launching a campus club, networking for opportunities, or pursuing a new job. In addition to practical experience, the course also guides crafting professional résumés and optimizing LinkedIn profiles to strengthen students’ career readiness.
On Oct. 25, students participated in a philanthropic capstone project and community service event with Friends of Rescue Animals and the Garland Animal Shelter. In preparation, they took part in a series of workshops where they designed event flyers and organized logistics.
During the event, students volunteered by serving food and water, assisting attendees, and adopting some animals.
Soresh said more than 120 people turned up and five animals were adopted. He also, discussed about the SLI program on an episode of Campus Chat, the News-Register’s new podcast.
According to Soresh, while the course does not count toward a degree, it appears on the transcripts, and its impact reaches far beyond academic credits. Many students report newfound confidence not just in school, but in job interviews, networking events, and everyday conversations. New SLI courses will start in spring 2026. The course often fills quickly; registration is open to anyone interested in improving their leadership skills. For more informtion about SLI visit https://www.dallascollege.edu/slife/leadership/
