More Than 1,400 High School Students Attend 2024 USU Leadership Conference

LOGAN, Utah — High school students from across the state and local region flocked to Utah State University for the university’s annual USU Leadership Conference, held June 3-5 and 10-12. The conference, hosted by USU Admissions, was split into two sessions to accommodate as many students as possible.

One of the oldest and most impactful student leadership conferences in the state, the USULC offered student government leaders the opportunity to build relationships with other student leaders and get training and mentorship to bolster their leadership skills. A total of 59 Utah and Idaho high schools attended, bringing together 1,422 students and 175 advisors, an approximate 7% increase in attendance from the 2023 conference.

“The students who come to this conference make huge impacts on their schools and communities as leaders,” said Katie Jo North, assistant vice president and executive director of New Student Enrollment at USU. “It is incredible to have so many influential students all at Utah State at the same time. After seeing what we have to offer, many of these students decide to attend USU and get involved as ambassadors, A-Team members and USUSA officers. We love hosting this conference each year.”

This year’s conference theme was “Embrace the Journey”, a travel around the world motif. As part of the theme, this year’s keynote speaker was David C. Roskelley, a climber who has reached the top of the world’s seven highest peaks. Participants also took part in team building activities, workshops to enhance leadership skills, and roundtables and trainings to plan events and assemblies for the upcoming school year. Students also got to socialize with dance battles, a spirit bowl, game nights and many more fun activities.

The conference also had several new features this year, including an event app designed by USU Event Services, which provided users their agenda, workshops, and activity schedules all in one place. Students were also able to send postcards to family and friends as part of the “travel” theme, as well as the ability to print their own souvenir photos right on the spot.

“We wanted to make this experience even better for participants this year, and these new features were a big hit,” said Joe Graul, program coordinator for Campus Events & Conferences. “The new app made it easier for students and advisors to keep track of where they needed to go next, and the small touches, such as our postcard mailing event, gave students a glimpse of the care Utah State gives to its students. We think all left with a positive impression of USU.”

The USULC has been held every year since 2006. More than 14,000 students have participated in the conference since its inauguration. For more information on USULC, visit www.usu.edu/admissions/events/leadership.