Deziree Harmon '25 has been selected as a LEADNext Fellow — the first ever NYU Shanghai student to be awarded this honor. The program’s masterclasses and one-on-one mentorship will allow Harmon to sharpen her leadership skills and network with other young leaders.
Created by The Asia Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to creating opportunities across Asia and the Pacific, the LEADNext fellowship aims to empower and connect future leaders with the potential to make a positive impact on the world. The fellows, a diverse group of young leaders from across the US, Asia, and the Pacific, undergo a six-month intensive training in which they develop crucial leadership skills such as cross-cultural communication and self-awareness. The program will culminate in the Global Leaders Summit, held in the San Francisco Bay Area. This experience will allow the fellows to collaborate in-person and learn from each other’s expertise.
Harmon says The Asia Foundation’s work across the globe and the opportunity to connect with other like-minded individuals inspired her to apply for the fellowship. “What caught my attention was the past projects of The Asia Foundation in technology and development around the world,” she says. “The prospect of collaborating with individuals from diverse backgrounds, all committed to creating positive change, appealed to me.”
Deziree on a Community Engaged Learning trip to Chongming Island to learn about permaculture practices.
At NYU Shanghai, Deziree studies Interactive Media and Business and Computer Science, learning how to use technology to create inclusive and empowering learning experiences. She hopes that her experience as a LEADNext fellow will help her develop an understanding of how her skills and interest in technology can impact global issues. “Working with a mentor will help me to clarify how my aspirations translate into reality,” says Harmon.
LEADNext fellows are each paired with a professional mentor who is an expert in the fellow’s field of interest. By connecting present and future leaders, the Foundation hopes LEADNext fellows can learn crucial leadership skills focusing on inclusion and empathy through collaboration and conversation. These connections and experience sharing are what Harmon is looking forward to the most, she says. “I am most excited about engaging in meaningful conversations with my cohort and mentors. Everyone comes from very diverse backgrounds which will call for thought provoking discussion and I know I will learn a lot!”
Deziree with classmates at a meal at NYU London celebrating the end of her "Globalization and Food" course.
In the classroom, Harmon has pushed herself to develop her communication skills. Her self-awareness and pursuit of countering misperceptions impressed her professors, says Clinical Associate Professor Marcos Martinez, who taught her in his Perspectives on the Humanities: World-Building course. “Deziree pushed herself to take on the opposite view from what she would typically argue,” he says. “I wish all leaders would embrace such a challenge, instead of settling for simple arguments!”
Harmon says classes and events at NYU Shanghai have developed her understanding of global issues, which she believes will set her up for success in a career in tech policy. “The IMB Program specifically has improved my ability to think critically and to be fearless in learning through success, failure, and feedback,” she says. “All of this together has not only made me more self-aware but has also prepared me to approach my career with the intention of making a meaningful impact.”
“We celebrate Deziree for being named NYU Shanghai's first-ever LeadNext fellow,” says Interim Global Awards Advisor and Clinical Associate Professor Steve Iams. “She is very deserving of this honor and a great fit for this impressive cohort of young leaders seeking innovative solutions to the world's most pressing issues.”