USC hosted students from 19 campuses across the South on Saturday for the 28th Annual Student Leadership and Diversity Conference, themed “Find Your Fit: Unlock Your Future.”
“We are excited that many years ago that we had the foresight to start a conference of this type to give individuals a one-day opportunity to come and hear some wonderful workshops,” said Jerry Brewer, associate vice president for student affairs. “We’ve got a lot of insight to share with you, and we hope we’ll make you think a little bit different.”
A grand total of 509 students came from South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia to attend three different workshop sessions and hear two keynote speakers during the conference.
“You’ve got 500 different people here,” Brewer said. “Believe it or not, everyone looks at things a little bit different; they have a little bit different perspective, a little bit different takeaway.”
Brian Bordainick, who was recently named one of Forbes Magazine’s “Top 30 Under 30,” started off the morning by encouraging students to reach their own potential. Bordainick is recognized as one of New Orleans’ highest-achieving young entrepreneurs after he created 9th Ward Field of Dreams, an organization that built a football stadium for a New Orleans high school.
The 27-year-old said that everything he did started out as a failure, even though he is now the chief executive of Dinner Lab, a company that pairs little-known chefs with diners looking for a unique experiences. The company was recently valued at $55 million although it began less than two years ago.
“Just move as fast as possible, and destroy everything in your path,” he said. “I think that’s the only way you’re going to do something special or magical.”
Bordainick said he likes to speak to college students because they still have the idea that they can accomplish anything.
The second keynote speaker, Julie Beck, aimed to inspire students to follow their dreams. Beck traveled to all 50 states before she was 30 and all seven continents by 40, and her adventures have now taken her to 77 countries.
She encouraged the audience to challenge themselves, meet new people and try new things.
“All the people in the world fit into three categories,” Brewer said. “There’s people who don’t have any idea anything is happening. There’s people who watch things happen. And there’s people who make things happen.”