Program Overview
Schedule
Required in-person sessions
Every Tuesday evening
Fall semester of 2026
Cohorts
Up to 40 students per cohort
Cohort comprised of a variety of majors, interests, and backgrounds
Meeting Format
There is a dearth of leadership. The world needs great leaders more than ever. Everyone has the ability to rise to the occasion, but leadership roles are not for everyone. Texas Trailblazers is a program designed to nurture, train and inspire natural born leaders to reach the pinnacle of success by getting up-close and personal with accomplished leaders willing to share their trade secrets and insights.
How It Works
- Forty exceptional students (’40 on the 40 Acres’) identified either through nominations by professors, faculty or business leaders, or students can apply.
- Students represent many colleges, degree plans, interests, and backgrounds as they enter their Junior and/or Senior year.
- All students enrolled in the program will complete a Myers-Briggs personality assessment test prior to their first in-person session.
- Cohort will meet weekly for 14 weeks in a combination of formats including classroom lectures, networking receptions, once-in-a-lifetime experiences including fireside chats and seated dinners with proven leaders, and an annual offsite retreat.
Program Elements
A semester-long curriculum focused on decision-making, self-awareness, and leading with purpose.
Cohort-based conversations with accomplished leaders in business, athletics, and public service, providing direct access and candid insight rarely found in student organizations.
Student-led, real-world leadership projects serving the University and the broader community, where Trailblazers committees take ownership from concept to execution.
Curated cohort dinners, retreats, and community-building experiences that build lasting connections.
Who Should Apply?
Exceptional Junior and/or Senior students at the University of Texas
Students who have already exhibited leadership qualities recognized by teachers, employers, student organizations, clubs, and/or peers
Students seeking leadership roles upon graduation with ambition, drive, and determination to rise to the top of their industry/field
Leaders Training Leaders
About the Program Founder: Gay Gaddis, T3 Founder, Author, Artist, Trailblazer
More about Gay Gaddis
Through her speaking career on leadership, company culture and entrepreneurship, her book “Cowgirl Power: How to Kick Ass in Business & Life,” board work and leadership training, Gay empowers the next generation of business leaders to take big leaps in their careers and lives. She is a contributor to Forbes and founder/co-instructor of Women Who Mean Business, a women’s development program at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. Additionally, she is the past President and Chair of the Board of Directors of Texas Exes, the official alumni association of the University of Texas, and was appointed to the Governor’s Commission for Women.
Gay has received numerous awards including the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Texas, 2021 Hall of Fame Award by the McCombs School of Business, the Liz Carpenter Lifetime Achievement Award, Fast Company’s Top 25 Women Business Builders, Inc. Magazine’s Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the Year, and C200’s Luminary Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence.