Announcing the Class of 2025 Baldwin Leaders
We are thrilled to introduce the extraordinary individuals who make up the Baldwin Leadership Program Class of 2025. These remarkable leaders will embark on an enlightening 18-month adventure dedicated to personal growth, leadership development, and profound self-discovery.
Discover the passion and dedication of these outstanding individuals who will shape the future of our community through their innovative projects and commitment to excellence. As they set out on this transformative leadership journey, join us in celebrating their inspiring initiatives and the enduring impact they will create within our community.
Learn more about the Baldwin Leaders and their projects:
Chris Ballentine
Willow Valley Communities
“Broken Traveler: A Joyful Journey of Belonging & Becoming”
Over the past couple of years, Chris faced crossroads to build a pathway of self-discovery and reinvention. Within the next 18 months, he will deploy travel as the route for finding himself as a Black male on a meaningful journey, exploring what does healing, belonging, and thriving look and feel like to and for him? The plan involves traveling to three locations, recommended as inviting to Black Americans: Ghana, Africa; Washington, D.C.,and Atlanta, GA.
Malia Burris
PRIMA Arts
“Embodied Expression: The Wellness Canvas”
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds” is Malia’s mantra, adapted from Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” In a world where freedom does not come naturally, she seeks to break the shackles of her own mind. Malia will travel to Kauai Island, Hawaii for an 8-day healing retreat to strengthen and expand her mindfulness practices. She will also learn the fundamentals and healing power of sound therapy through Sound School here in Lancaster.
Alex Colon
The Mix
“A Ripple Overseas”
Alex is uniquely positioned as a musician and teaching artist. His project involves traveling to Portugal, Spain, and Morocco where he’ll work with producers, musicians, and artists exploring their musical cities and cultural influences. This journey will deepen his understanding of music as a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries. Alex welcomes the opportunity to develop empathy, communication, and leadership skills – all essential for building his “Ripple Creators Program” currently installed at The Mix.
Christina Duncan
Milagro House
“Journaling in the Azores: Connecting Yesterday to Today”
Christina’s childhood memories include one month each summer in a cabin on a rugged, isolated, coastal island. Her family kept a log of those summers; journals that sadly, were lost when her parents died. Christina will travel to the Azores, a cluster of remote, unspoiled islands within the Atlantic Ocean. She will spend a month creating a new journal, weaving long ago summers into the story of who she is today.
Keisha Finnie
The Mix
“Journey Back to Self”
Navigating the difficulties of being a Black woman in Lancaster, Keisha takes pride in her accomplishments while remaining humble. As an artist, she often finishes one project and immediately moves onto the next, without a chance to celebrate. Few people realize the work she does on top of the art they see. Keisha’s project will take her on journeys including Sedona, Arizona for hiking, kayaking and touring the Antelope Canyon, as well as attending Art Basel in Miami, Florida.
Jose Garcia
Hempfield RecCenter
“Enhancing My Personal & Professional Creative Growth”
Jose’s expertise in music and marketing have come full circle. His project entails researching emerging marketing trends and exploring ways to create compelling content in his own storytelling. Jose will attend the Advertising and Brand Experience at SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas to access better tools and tech, collaborate with like-minded peers, and enhance his growth as a community leader.
Dennis Johnson
Brightside Opportunities Center
“Finding The Father In Me”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Dennis desired to meet his biological father and reconnect with his three children. Dennis will travel to Liberia, West Africa on a tour of his motherland with members of PAVAA (Performance and Visual Afrocentric Art).The experience is key to repairing these important bridges and reconnecting with the father in him again.
Brian Nguyen
Community Action Partnership (CAP)
“The Intersectionality”
Brian’s multi-faceted intersectionality has played a role in how they show up, lead, and participate. On many levels, representation matters to Brian, especially helping to amplify voices and understanding within different communities. As a first generation Vietnamese American, their dream is to travel to his roots in Vietnam and places where LGBTQ+ rights are challenged and stigmatized to understand how folx are navigating those spaces.
Sam Soliman
Touchstone Foundation
“DACAmenting new spaces”
Sam’s career in photography and directing led him to document stories for other people, but he’s never felt okay telling his own. As a DACA recipient, traveling has been difficult, and now he’s embarking on a journey of the soul to DACAment his travels from California to Washington State. Sam will revisit and recreate the photos taken of his family when they first moved to America.
Solise White
YWCA Lancaster
“Returning Home: Healing Through Movement and Culture”
Growing up moving from shelter to shelter because of domestic violence was difficult for Solise. She broke away from the trauma of generational poverty, which resulted in disconnecting from who she is as an Afro-Latina. Solise’s project will strengthen her voice with private Spanish language classes, reconnect with and heal her body through dance, while honoring ancestral cultural roots. She will travel to her grandfather’s birthplace of Ponce, Puerto Rico, and take private/intensive dance classes in New York and Atlanta.
Learn More about the Baldwin Leadership Program
The Baldwin Leadership Program supports the personal leadership development of individuals in Lancaster County. The Class of 2025 will include 10 local leaders ready to embark on extraordinary opportunities.
