As David Leal ’26 entered Wabash College, neither he nor the rest of the campus knew how much he would influence them as well as the greater city of Crawfordsville. He has impacted every co-curricular he joined. He is a meaningful contributor to ‘shOUT, the Sphinx Club, the Public Health Organization, the Global Health Initiative, the Latino Community Center (LCC), Kappa Sigma and the Wabash Democrat Club.
When Leal joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity, he noticed various issues within the house including an alienating culture and exclusionary social norms. However, he made it his goal to challenge those norms and was able to impact both the culture of the house and its reputation.
“I began to challenge these cultural norms,” said Leal. “I made it one of my biggest goals to make sure that our house was a safe space and to build a reputation to be known as the ‘Diversity House’ to the future members and all of campus.”
Leal has followed through with this plan by increasing the number of Kappa Sigma ‘shOUT members from one to six, with three members actively participating in ‘shOUT executive positions. He has encouraged many of the freshmen and brothers of the house to become more involved all around campus.
One of his best qualities as a president was his ability to communicate with all of the members of his house. He has implemented these skills across campus. He has emphasized the need for communication in every leadership role that he has served in at Wabash.
“In my first two years, I wasn’t really outspoken because I didn’t feel like I could be, but now I have learned of my voice and how valuable it is,” said Leal. “Because of that I don’t want anyone else to not find their voice’s value too.”
Outside of his time at Kappa Sigma, he has built a large reputation in both the Sphinx club and ‘shOUT. These have become some of his proudest achievements outside of his house.
“David Leal has done an excellent job as the ‘shOUT president in putting a spotlight on ‘shOUT,” said Javion Montgomery ’27. “I know in the past it has been a little difficult to have queer representation on campus, but he has done a really good job at elevating those voices.”
His time in ‘shOUT has improved the inclusivity of the student body and he has been working to build brotherhood by building more of a safe space for queer people and minorities all across campus. Leal has also cultivated communication in La Alianza.
“During my Chapel Talk, I called out the support the queer community receives and, broadly speaking, the support minority groups receive,” said Leal. “While I emphasized that all support is amazing, there are different levels of said support.”
Leal’s work in the LCC does not go unnoticed. Leal spends his Wednesdays at the Conversation Tables hosted by the LCC. He helps in the Spanish to English portion of Conversation Tables. He has worked with many members of the community to help those who struggle with English learn how to structure sentences.
“Beyond the classroom, David’s presence in the Latino Community Center reflects his desire to connect,” said Director of Latino Partnerships and Dean of the College’s Office Julio Enríquez-Ornelas ’08. “As a Senior Community Scholar, he helps lead initiatives that connect Wabash College with Latine families in Crawfordsville and the surrounding region.”
Leal’s connection with campus staff makes his Wabash story complete. His time with faculty has been his favorite part of Wabash College. The staff has always been there to support him and there are many stories that he has with those who have had the pleasure of shaping him.
“One of the most impactful faculty members is [Visiting Assistant Professor of History Aiala Levy], who has become one of my biggest mentors at Wabash and introduced me to Latine research, in which I examined Latine belonging in higher education through oral history interviews,” said Leal. “Before this, I was pre-med, but after she allowed me to become a principal investigator on my work, it impacted the reason why I wanted to get my PhD.”
When Leal graduates, he will pursue a masters degree in social sciences and Latin American studies at the University of Chicago. He will continue to spread his knowledge to spend time exploring immigration, trauma and belonging as a sociologist.
Leal’s time at Wabash left a large impression on those who have been here to witness his impact His work throughout ‘shOUT, Kappa Sigma and the LCC are memorable. He entered Wabash with a purpose and executed it well, leaving a lasting change.