Steven Kasparek
PhD in clinical psychology at Harvard University
Bring your education, your passions, and your purpose into the professional world.
MiddCORE is a mentor-driven, experiential-learning program that builds skills, creates opportunities, and expands networks for tomorrow’s leaders and innovators.
Our mentors are the key to the MiddCORE experience. Each has a proven record of accomplishment in their fields, and a demonstrated ability to teach others the tools for success. MiddCORE mentors develop hands-on challenges that inspire students to think creatively, operate outside their comfort zone, and deal with ambiguity. They help students build capacities, identify opportunities, and become effective leaders. Students leave confident, resourceful, and prepared to lead. MiddCORE is offered twice a year: as a J-Term class in the winter and as “The LAB” in the summer.
Applications for MiddCORE Summer Lab are open
Build real-world skills you can put to work instantly during your summer experience—and earn a $250 professional development award to invest in your future! APPLY NOW
J-Term (winter)
Students work with mentors for one month and face daily, weekly, and month-long challenges designed to build the CORE strengths needed to become effective leaders and creative problem solvers. This is open to all Middlebury undergraduates.
Learn MoreThe LAB (summer)
MiddCORE Summer Lab (The LAB) is designed to work in conjunction with your summer experience. Meeting once a week on Tuesday evenings with your peers and learning from mentors, you will gain skills that you can directly apply during your summer experience. See the schedule for The LAB 2025. Applications are open for the Summer of 2025; APPLY NOW.
Learn MoreFrom Our Alumni
Michelle Yang
Financial Planning & Analyst for Amazon
Winson Law
Talent team, Venture For America
Sophia Prud'homme
Middlebury College student
Becca Havian
Bates College student
Meet the MiddCORE Mentors
No textbook will teach you this kind of problem solving: Work, dine, and engage directly with industry experts giving first-hand insight into leadership, innovation, and persuasive communication.
-
Megan Nesbeth is a designer, strategist, and doer who empowers people, places, and organizations to thrive using the tools of design research, complex systems, business strategy, and the social sciences. She is currently a strategist at frog, a global design, strategy, and innovation firm.
Megan Nesbeth
Strategist at Frog Design
See more mentors -
Simon is the Chief Operating Officer for Orvis. He is responsible for their customer facing teams, that include Marketing, Consumer Direct, IT, Merchandising & Product Development, Sourcing, and Merchandise Operations & Planning. In 2016, Simon developed an “in-house agency” for Orvis, and lead the development of Orvis’ brand storytelling.
Simon Perkins
COO at Orvis
See more mentors -
Jenna Arnold serial entrepreneur and author of Raising Our Hands. She is known as the co-founder of ORGANIZE and was a National Organizer for the Women’s March on Washington. Oprah has called Arnold one of the “100 Awakened Leaders who are using their voice and talent to elevate humanity”.
Jenna Arnold
Chief Impact Officer at Rethink
See more mentors -
Duke Stump is a brilliant marketing and brand strategist who builds compelling brand narratives that resonate deeply with consumers on an emotional and values-driven level. He believes in the critical role of authenticity, purpose, and culture in building successful brands. He has held senior leadership roles at Seventh Generation, Lululemon, and NIKE.
Duke Stump
Lecturer, Advisor, Founder, Former Brand Leader at NIKE, Lululemon, and Seventh Generation
See more mentors
Up-level your potential:
Develop the confidence, skills, hands-on experience, and network you’ll need to make a positive impact—on the world and on your future.
Impact
- 94%
- of recent participants said that MiddCORE gave them the skills to be confident in the workplace
- 91%
- declared MiddCORE to be one of their most important undergraduate experiences
- 98%
- felt they could approach strategic challenges in new ways
MiddCORE and MiddCORE Summer Lab (The LAB) are a part of the Elizabeth Hackett Robinson ’84 Innovation Hub.