Alumni Grow as Leaders in Immersive Coro Fellows Program
Rooted in the Jesuit values of cura personalis, community service and lifelong learning, Saint Louis University alumni are equipped to drive change for the greater good. As a result, many Billikens continue to grow as servant leaders after graduation through fellowships like the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs.
“SLU has served as a pipeline for Coro for several years,” said Becky Muich, Ph.D., director of SLU’s University Honors Program. “Seniors preparing to graduate possess the leadership skills and desire to serve others, making them impactful wherever Coro places them. As alumni who live their lives for and with others, they naturally align with Coro’s mission to develop civic leaders across various disciplines.”
Muich, who serves as SLU’s liaison to the Coro Fellows Program in St. Louis, said that applications for the immersive, nine-month 2026-27 fellowship are now open and will be accepted until Jan. 11, 2026. Each year, up to 12 individuals are selected to participate in the highly competitive program.
Two SLU alums, Nebu Kolenchery (PH ’15, GRAD PH ’24) and Livi Logan-Wood (PH ’16), completed the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Kolenchery, honored in the 2023 de Beaumont Foundation’s 40 Under 40 in Public Health, is the chief revenue officer for Flourish and Thrive (F&T) Labs and serves on the St. Louis Board of Health.
Prior to this role, he was the director for communicable disease response at the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, overseeing responses to COVID-19 and mpox, and he has consulted for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Defense. Kolenchery earned bachelor’s degrees in public health and international studies and a Master of Public Health from SLU.
Logan-Wood is a senior consultant at World Wide Technology, where she collaborates with executives to address challenges in cyber resiliency and business transformation. She graduated from SLU’s College for Public Health and Social Justice, majoring in social work and international studies, and holds master’s degrees in business administration and social work from Washington University in St. Louis.
Reflecting on SLU and Coro
Both graduates recently reflected on how their SLU education and experience as Coro Fellows have shaped their careers and fueled their passion for service and leadership. Responses have been edited for clarity and concision.
How did Saint Louis University foster your personal growth and leadership?
Kolenchery: I felt at home with SLU’s commitment to social justice and the Jesuit mission of serving others. Participating in the University’s Micah Program, majoring in public health, and studying abroad in the Philippines all contributed to my personal growth. The late Norm White, Ph.D., an associate professor of criminology, taught me valuable lessons in leadership when a few peers and I collaborated with him to launch SLU’s Overground Railroad for Literacy program, which aimed to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. That experience demonstrated how to remain dedicated to initiating and sustaining a program, which has helped in my career.
Logan-Wood: Although I’m not Catholic, I resonated with SLU’s Jesuit values and fostered growth through my studies at the College of Public Health and Social Justice. As a student-athlete, I practiced leadership on and off the soccer field, ultimately serving as captain in my senior year, where I helped guide the team through a coaching transition. I am proud of the legacy I was a part of now that SLU’s soccer program has become one of the nation’s most successful. Building a community with peers, studying abroad in Italy and the Balkans and engaging in campus activities were also crucial to my development as a leader.
Why did you pursue the Coro Fellows Program in St. Louis after graduating from SLU?
Kolenchery: I was inspired by two SLU Coro alumni, but my greatest influence came from Dr. White, who said, “Nebu, you think you know how to lead, but you need to learn how to follow.” He encouraged me to apply for the Coro Fellows Program to explore the meaning of leadership.
Logan-Wood: Approaching graduation, I felt unsure about my next steps. Learning about the Coro Fellows Program through SLU’s Career Center and hearing my career advisor praise SLU alumni who became fellows inspired me. Experiencing the unrest after the killing of Michael Brown also shaped my understanding of St. Louis. With a service and learning mindset, I realized I had more to give and discover here. Completing my Coro fellowship was one of the best decisions I made — it enabled me to become effective and informed as a leader and citizen of St. Louis.
How did your experience in Coro impact you as a growing leader?
Kolenchery: For one of my rotations, I was placed with the St. Louis County Department of Health, and it changed my life. I saw just how important the work of a local health department is to a community being healthy. I believe that public health departments are the most salient examples of democracy today, and this conviction has molded my understanding of and commitment to improving community and individual health. In my current role, I work with state and local health departments nationwide to modernize their tools and processes.
Logan-Wood: A core tenet of Coro is “you don’t know what you don’t know.” With a background in social work and policy, I thought I had a good understanding of the public sector, but my placements throughout my Coro year revealed new dimensions of advocacy and its impact at the city and regional levels, which have been invaluable even in my work today.
What advice would you offer to SLU students who want to use their leadership skills to make a difference in St. Louis?
Kolenchery: St. Louis is a prime example of how decisions in policy can create long-term impacts. St. Louis is a unique place — a “small, big town” — that allows you opportunities to engage with issues and gain a seat at the table that larger cities often don’t offer. My advice? Put down roots here. Get involved and make your voice heard. Embrace challenges and learn from them. You have the chance to create real change in St. Louis.
Logan-Wood: I didn’t grow up in St. Louis and initially planned to leave after graduating from SLU. However, being a Coro Fellow influenced my view of the region in many ways. For young leaders, know that you can truly make an impact here in St. Louis. Say “yes” to as many opportunities as possible and invest your energy in exploring spaces outside of your comfort zone. Coro showed me how to lead by supporting others’ visions, facilitating conversations and backing others behind the scenes. The best leaders I’ve encountered ask questions, embrace differing perspectives and navigate complexities with the type of nuance acquired through experiences like Coro.
Questions?
For more information about the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs or the application process, contact Becky Muich at rebecca.muich@slu.edu or reach out to the Coro team directly at coro@umsl.edu.