Alumni Spotlight: Ina Haybaeck-Rogers ’19, MA ’21 on Dance, Leadership, and the Transformative Power of a Saint Mary’s Education
Building on a career in dance, Haybeck-Rogers completed her bachelor’s through the LEAP Program—and soon found herself inspired to continue into the MA in Leadership.
For Ina Haybaeck-Rogers ’19, MA ’21, the path to Saint Mary's College of California began with the LEAP Program, an experience that would fundamentally reshape her approach to learning and leadership. LEAP (which stands for Liberal Education for Arts Professionals) offers a comprehensive liberal arts education to professional dancers and performing artists through part-time study, providing a unique path to higher education. Haybaeck-Rogers completed her LEAP degree summa cum laude in December 2019. Along with earning those honors, she knew that she had found something special at Saint Mary’s.
“My expectations were very different from what I experienced, so much better and life-changing!” Haybaeck-Rogers recalls. The LEAP Program challenged her critical thinking, introduced her to new subjects like anthropology, and expanded her perspective on issues of social justice. This fostered a thirst for lifelong learning that led her to pursue a Master of Arts in Leadership.
Coming from a more traditional education system in Austria that differed greatly from Saint Mary's cooperative teaching approach, Haybaeck-Rogers was drawn to the safe learning environment and Lasallian principles that emphasized individualized instruction. Having held leadership positions in her career as a dance instructor and department head at Debbie Ellens Dance Academy, she recognized the value of developing deeper leadership competencies. “I realized I needed to learn conflict resolution, problem-solving, and effective leadership strategies to address challenges in group settings,” she explains.
Redefining Leadership
The MA in Leadership program fundamentally transformed how Haybaeck-Rogers understood leadership itself. “I learned that leadership is not a position or a title, but a personal commitment and pursuit in service of others,” she says. This insight proved particularly powerful in her work with teenagers from underserved backgrounds in her dance program.
The Leadership program's focus on personal transformation rather than grades initially challenged Haybaeck-Rogers, who came from a grade-focused educational system. For her, the transformative approach proved one of the program’s greatest strengths. Through coursework emphasizing self-reflection, presence, mindfulness, and values work, she developed skills that extended far beyond the classroom.
From her perspective, one of her most significant achievements came when her students successfully managed an entire theater production without adult supervision, a testament to both their growth and her evolved leadership approach. “The program helped me become a more empathetic and generative listener,” Haybaeck-Rogers notes. That capacity influenced not only her professional life but also her personal decisions, including her choice to volunteer at a hospital following her husband's passing.
“The sense of trust and belonging at Saint Mary's is unlike anywhere else. It's a beautiful campus, but it's the people and the Lasallian approach that make it truly transformative.”
Building a Leadership Toolkit
The MA in Leadership program provided Haybaeck-Rogers with both theoretical understanding and practical tools for navigating organizational systems and group dynamics. She gained insights into facilitating groups of all sizes, engaging stakeholders, and guiding diverse teams toward a shared vision. After completing the program, she pursued additional certifications in coaching and project management, building on the foundation the MA in Leadership provided.
Haybaeck-Rogers particularly valued the program's emphasis on mindfulness, group facilitation, and coaching skills—competencies applicable across professional fields. Her written work from the program is now used as an example for current students, demonstrating the depth and quality of critical thinking the program cultivates.
Advice for Future Leaders
For those considering the MA in Leadership, Haybaeck-Rogers offers wisdom born from experience: “Trust the process and allow for gradual growth.” She emphasizes that the program's impact extends far beyond the degree itself, creating lasting change in how graduates approach leadership, relationships, and service to others.
She also highlights the diverse backgrounds of her cohort, from government workers and law enforcement professionals to educators and social service professionals, noting that this diversity enriched the learning experience and broadened perspectives on leadership challenges across sectors.
The program prepared Haybaeck-Rogers to be, in her own words, a “change-maker,” someone equipped with the skills, approaches, and perspectives to contribute meaningfully to their community and address important societal issues. Looking back on her journey from LEAP to the MA in Leadership, she sees a through-line of personal growth, professional development, and deepening commitment to leadership in service of others.
“The sense of trust and belonging at Saint Mary's is unlike anywhere else,” Haybaeck-Rogers reflects. “It's a beautiful campus, but it's the people and the Lasallian approach that make it truly transformative.”
Interested in learning more about the MA in Leadership program? Visit our website, attend an information session, or contact the Kalmanovitz School of Education to explore how this program can transform your approach to leadership: ksoeteam@stmarys-ca.edu, 925-631-4700 x1.
Are you a dancer interested in completing your Bachelor's degree? Learn more about the Saint Mary's LEAP Program by visiting our website or completing this online form.
