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In 2013, CASLS began a two-year professional development program called the Western Initiative for Language Leadership (WILL) designed for language educators teaching in rural areas of the Pacific Northwest. CASLS later expanded the program to include teachers in other areas of the country.

The first year of the program focused on using action research to improve classroom practice, and the second year focused on developing leadership skills. Teachers gathered together for weeklong summer institutes each year and stayed in contact throughout the year with one another, mentors, CASLS staff, and experts in the field.

Brenda Gaver, a Spanish teacher at East Valley High School in Spokane, Washington, joined WILL in its first year as a participant. She later served as a mentor for other WILL cohorts. "I really enjoyed the personal and professional connections that I made through WILL," Brenda recalls. "As a mentor, it was fun to support the participants and to let them know that we are not necessarily 'experts,' but colleagues sharing many of the same struggles."

Brenda credits the program with giving her the confidence to take on leadership roles in professional organizations. She has served as state conference chair twice for the Washington Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT), recording secretary for WAFLT, president for WAFLT, president for the Pacific Northwest Council for Languages (PNCFL), and eastern vice president for the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP).

Brenda continues to teach Spanish at East Valley High School in addition to being the cheerleading coach. When not engaged in her work or professional development, she enjoys traveling and scuba diving.

WILL and its expansion programs, the Southern Initiative for Language Learning and the Global Language Educators' Network, were funded by a U.S. Department of Education Title VI Language Resource Center grant.