Gage Ireland Scholarship

Gage Ireland was a young man who embodied everything The Leadership Course stands for — courage, joy, faith, and a deep trust in God’s purpose. A son of San Dimas with a spirit too large to contain, Gage served with Leadership USA and upon graduation was nominated and selected for the David Mills Scholarship.  This earned Gage a trip of service to Queensland, Australia, where his honesty, energy, and love for Jesus left a lasting impression on everyone he met.

Even when faced with cancer’s return, Gage didn’t shrink back. Gage allowed his faith to be greater than the disease.  Cancer did not define him, his love for Jesus did.  One of the most challenging events on Course is the solo year, Gage could have cowered to cancer but instead he went into the wilderness alone — four days and three nights — wrestled with God, completed his solo.

Completing solo defined who he was: a follower of Christ who refused to live in fear, who faced every battle with humor, courage, and belief in something greater than himself.

From California to Queensland, his life became a bridge between nations and hearts. As Don Smith, founder of The Leadership Course, said, “His courage, honesty, and energy to live life to the full captivated us all... He does not leave us; he lives on with us in a different way.”

The Gage Ireland Scholarship now sends young men from the United States to serve with our Leadership partners in Australia — carrying the same joy, humility, and fire for Jesus that Gage lived with. This is how we honor his legacy: by equipping the next generation of leaders to follow the Holy Spirit, live courageously, and bring light wherever they’re sent.

Carry Gage’s Legacy Forward