While some students might kick off their summers lounging by the pool or catching up on sleep, over 1,500 high schoolers from Utah and Idaho chose to invest in their future as they swarmed the Utah State University campus for the USU's annual Leadership Conference. Participation surged this year, climbing 9% from the previous summer, as nearly 70 high schools sent their best and brightest to the two-week summit designed to mold the minds of tomorrow's leaders.
According to USU Today, this year's conference tipped its hat to Ancient Greece, urging delegates to "Find Your Voice" amongst a variety of interactive workshops and team-building exercises. The event, which has been a staple for over a decade, held a lineup of speakers, including the highlight: Kenneth Scott, a former University of Utah football player turned motivational speaker. Scott pushed attendees to "own their story", a call that met with enthusiasm from the young crowd.
Joe Graul, the director of conferences & community outreach at USU, recognized the event's success, noting, "Our goal is to provide students with tools to become leaders and role models in their schools and communities," he said, as per USU Today. "This year’s growth speaks volumes about the value schools see in this experience." Students were immersed in sessions covering everything from fundraising strategies to fearlessly igniting school spirit and meticulously organizing events.
One of the more memorable moments was the Titan Challenge, a Herculean effort by any standard, that saw teens diving into trivia about Ancient Greece and sprinting in a Coliseum Relay Race. Evenings concluded with the much-anticipated Spirit Bowl and Dance Battle, where schools vied in friendly competition to exhibit their pride and unity. Over 100 USU students themselves stepped up to the plate this year, playing the part of ambassadors who led workshops and provided mentorship to the high school attendees.
