Two University of Louisiana at Lafayette students have coordinated a leadership and professional development conference to provide college students guidance in areas such as finance, mental health and wellness, education, business development and career readiness.
Tafari Beard, a moving image arts major, and Christian Steward, a kinesiology major, will lead the ASPIRE Leadership Conference. It will be held from 2-7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, in the Student Union, 620 McKinley St. About 225 students from across the state are expected to attend the free conference. Registration is required.
The format will feature speakers who include Brandon B. Brown, an attorney and former federal and state prosecutor, and Dr. Shayla Polk, executive director for the Governor’s Office of Drug Policy. Interactive workshops, student presentations and networking are also planned.
“Students of all majors and levels who want to build confidence, strengthen their career readiness, learn about community engagement and connect with others are welcome to attend,” Beard said.
Another key component of the conference will be the launch of Project ASPIRE, a potential statewide initiative to expand work being done via the L.E.A.D. Association on campus. Beard, the student organization’s president, and Steward, its vice president, co-founded the association in 2025.
LEAD stands for Leadership, Empowerment, Aspiration and Development. The association puts those words into practice by connecting incoming freshmen with upper-level student mentors, who provide a range of guidance and support.
“True mentorship is more than someone who helps you with your classes. It’s someone who’s willing to give their all to ensure you succeed. That can mean tutoring or pointing someone toward resources, but the main focus is support in all aspects of life,” Beard explained.
The mentorship program has proven a quick success. “This year, we have 200 freshmen involved and 33 mentors. It’s all student-led and it’s really coming together,” Beard said.
The rapid growth has motivated him to broaden the mentoring program’s reach.
Along with UL Lafayette, he has enlisted student leaders from LSU and Grambling State, Northwestern State and Southern universities to attend the conference. “The goal is to let them hear about LEAD, how it works and why it’s important so that we can connect college students across Louisiana,” Beard said.
“We realize how good LEAD is and now our goal is to bring it to other universities. That’s where Project ASPIRE comes in. The goal is that the conference will help kick start Project ASPIRE. So, LEAD is specific to UL Lafayette. Project ASPIRE will be broader,” he added.
As part of the project, Beard explained, each of the four other campuses, along with UL Lafayette, would lead a community-focused initiative in one of five areas: career readiness, community service, student belonging, college access and basic needs support.
“After the conference, we will coordinate with the universities and try to determine which of the choices is a best fit for each of them or which of those areas they need to focus on the most,” he said.
“We hope it takes off,” Beard added. “Who knows how far its reach could eventually extend?”
Photo caption: UL Lafayette students Tafari Beard, left, and Christian Steward have coordinated a multi-university conference on campus. The ASPIRE Leadership Conference will focus on leadership and professional development for students. Photo credit: Paul Kieu / University of Louisiana at Lafayette