In October, two Luther Hodges Scholars (LHS) Leadership Council members Molly Malek
and Lucia (Chaeyeon) Park travelled to the Undergraduate Scholar Program Administrators
Association (USPAA) Scholar Summit in Omaha, Nebraska. The conference brings together
scholars from a wide range of institutions across the country for meaningful dialogue, skill
building, and collaboration. LHS was proud to represent UNC Chapel Hill along with
scholars from UNC Charlotte, North Carolina State University (NC State), and North Carolina
Agriculture and Technical State University.
One of the most memorable moments of the first day was the keynote address by Chris
Winchester. He spoke about the art of underperforming, a mindset that challenges the
pressure many high-achieving students feel to excel at everything at once. Instead, he
emphasized that top-performing scholars often succeed by intentionally focusing their
time and energy on areas where they are strongest. To make this idea tangible, he led us
through an activity using poker chips to represent our limited time and energy. As we
“spent” and traded chips across different tasks, we began to see how strategic allocation
of resources can lead to better outcomes both in academic settings and in future corporate
environments. This session not only offered a practical strategy we can carry into our
professional careers but also reminded us how essential it is to protect our well-being and
prevent burnout.
In between sessions, some of the most memorable moments happened outside the formal
agenda. Scholars gathered for roundtable meals where conversations flowed easily, and
we shared how our respective programs organize events, support students, and build
community on our campuses. Beyond the conference rooms, we also experienced parts of
Omaha together, including a hockey game and guided tours of the University of Nebraska at
Omaha campus. We also went to a haunted house with scholars from NC State on our first
night!
We were also one of the few scholar programs to participate in the student-led seminar
series to present about our topic of choice. In our session, we shared how our program
emphasizes cross-sector collaboration, research, and leadership, and how scholars
actively contribute to program growth through structures like the Leadership Council. The
highlight of our presentation was introducing the Cross-Sector Summer Internship program
to the fellow scholars. Many attendees were especially curious about how the program is
structured and funded, and they asked thoughtful questions about how a scholar program
can sponsor internships to intentionally support students’ career development. The
session ended with a lively discussion about the role of peer mentorship and related
initiatives other scholar programs are developing. We took notes on exciting ideas to bring
back and share with the rest of the Leadership Council.
Camp USPAA was a convening of 75 students from scholar programs across the country
who were all passionate about learning from others and creating meaningful friendships.
By connecting on LinkedIn and exchanging contact information, we open ourselves up to
future collaborations and partnerships. While we were exhausted on the return flight to
Chapel Hill, it was a sign of a weekend well-spent: listening, learning, and connecting.
Thank you to the Luther Hodges Scholars Program for sending us to Camp USPAA. We look
forward to the next round of scholars representing LHS at Camp USPAA next year!
