Student-spearheaded leadership group builds pathways to opportunity

A new student organization at the University of New England is working to expand leadership development opportunities for students, particularly those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, by connecting them with business leaders and mentors across Maine.

Founded this year by senior criminology major Levens Louis ’26, the Professional League of Undergraduate Students (PLUS) is a student-led business organization focused on professional development and workforce preparation. The group was created in consultation with the Maine Black Chamber of Commerce and is designed to complement existing student organizations while offering targeted programming around entrepreneurship, networking, and career exploration.

“The goal was to make it in addition to the Black and Latinx Student Union, hence the name PLUS,” Louis remarked, “but with the specific derivative of helping students build skills of financial literacy, career readiness and development, an all-business-centric focus.”

Since its launch in January, PLUS has quickly built momentum, drawing consistent participation at events that introduce students to professional pathways and community connections. The organization currently counts more than 30 members and has hosted a series of initiatives aimed at helping students build practical skills and networks beyond the classroom.

The group’s signature event so far, “Black in Business: Intro to Entrepreneurship,” brought four entrepreneurs from across Maine to campus on Feb. 25 to discuss launching ventures, navigating challenges, and building economic opportunity in the state. Students heard firsthand perspectives from leaders representing industries including fitness, travel, retail, and business advocacy.

“It shows you that, yes, you can do it, too, and you are already in the right rooms,” Louis said, speaking to students of color. “It gave me the sense, the feeling that, if I’m in this room right now, I’m already doing something right.”

For Louis, the idea for PLUS grew out of his internship with the Maine Black Chamber of Commerce, where he focused on leadership development and strategies to retain young entrepreneurs in Maine. Through conversations with chamber leadership and reflections on his own experience as a student, he began to envision a campus-based initiative — specifically within UNE’s College of Business — that would give peers access to tools and mentorship earlier in their college careers.

“We did a month of research trying to figure out how to do something to inspire young students with tools — programs, events, skills — so that they can feel like they can evolve financially and have a specific set of tools to go out into society and prevail,” he said.

That vision has translated into hands-on workforce programming. In addition to entrepreneurship panels, PLUS has hosted internship information sessions with local employers, networking gatherings with business leaders, and mentorship initiatives that extend beyond campus. Members now volunteer weekly at Portland’s Deering High School, helping multilingual students navigate college readiness and career planning.

“We feel like PLUS wants to go give the same knowledge that we are learning here at the University and go help other students of color that look like us,” Louis said, “and provide them the same skills that we desired when we were young.”

Support from across UNE — including faculty, staff, and career readiness leaders — has helped the organization grow while maintaining its student-driven focus. Louis emphasized that the group’s success has been powered by its members’ shared commitment to building opportunity together.

And the initiative serves as an example of how students like Louis are continuing to shape their own professional pathways: building networks, creating opportunities, and contributing to Maine’s evolving workforce landscape.

“PLUS is modeling what we hope for all students to experience at UNE: connection within the UNE community, service to the surrounding communities in Maine, personal reflection and development, and the application of classroom learnings to real-world professional experience,” said Shannon Zlotkowski, M.S., associate provost for Community and Belonging at UNE. “I'm impressed with what they have accomplished in such a short period of time, and I am excited to see what the future holds for Levens and for PLUS.”

As he prepares to graduate this spring, Louis hopes the organization will become a lasting feature of the campus experience, strengthening connections between students, employers, and communities across Maine.

“I feel that the legacy that I hope to leave with this organization is for it to not just be merely a club that came and went and was short-lived, but a strong foundation within the College of Business that promotes a sense of collaboration, and pride within diversity on this campus,” he said.