Mission Statement
Rooted in the principles of integrity, service, creativity, and inclusivity, the Laspa Center for Leadership seeks to advance gender equity by providing distinctive programming, enhanced networks, and experiential learning designed to expand the global influence, power, and impact of Scripps College graduates and individuals who contribute to creating a more just society in which gender does not limit potential.
Laspa Center Leadership Model
The Laspa Center offers programs and services that emphasize the development of leadership competencies in the different contexts within which we operate: the leadership of others, leadership of a cause, and the leadership of ourselves through the continual process of uncovering and strengthening our competencies as leaders. To that end, the Laspa Center has identified six competencies, representing a balance of hard and soft skills that we believe are reflected in leadership development. These competencies are: Mindfulness, Empathy, Social Skills, Organizational Dynamics, Strategic Thinking, and Effective Management. Each competency has specific elements or building blocks associated with it – exploring and strengthening those building blocks allows us to develop the six competencies.
Laspa Center Founders
The center is named in honor of Eileen Schock Laspa (’67, P’95,) and Jude Laspa (HMC ’65, P’95), who made the keystone gift of $5 million to establish a women’s leadership center at Scripps College. Eileen Laspa served as a Scripps College trustee from 1996 to 1999, and she and her husband share a love for the College and the opportunities it provides to students.
The Laspas have demonstrated a consistent commitment to leadership and to serving their communities, starting with involvement in their neighborhood organizations, that continue to today. Eileen Laspa has served as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), assisting court officials to make the best possible decisions in the cases of abused and neglected children, and she also has given her time as a board member with Planned Parenthood. Jude Laspa retired from Bechtel Group, Inc., where he held key posts as Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and Director, and President of Bechtel’s Asia Pacific Region in Hong Kong. He also served as a trustee for Harvey Mudd College for 20 years and has served on the boards of a number of nonprofit organizations.