Oglethorpe hosts 500 high school students for Usher’s New Look Foundation summit

Lance Wallace
August 2, 2024

Oglethorpe University hosted Usher’s New Look (UNL) 2024 Disruptivator Summit: Living In Your Legacy July 24-26, bringing more than 500 high school students from across the country to the campus.

The seventh annual UNL Disruptivator Summit, the largest youth conference in the southeast, was the most comprehensive in the 25-year history of Usher’s New Look, a 501(c)(3) founded by musical artist and philanthropist Usher Raymond IV.

UNL, the nation’s leading nonprofit philanthropic organization dedicated to uplifting underserved youth through the power of education and the pursuit of excellence, has helped transform the lives of more than 60,000 young people since its founding in 1999.

Oglethorpe President Kathryn McClymond with the summit organizers and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who spoke on the final day of Usher's New Look Foundation summit — Oglethorpe President Kathryn McClymond with the summit organizers and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who spoke on the final day

“It’s a privilege to partner with Usher’s New Look and host the Disruptivator Summit,” said Oglethorpe President Kathryn McClymond. “Our distinctive campus is the ideal venue for such a conference because our commitment to first-generation students matches the mission of Usher’s New Look. It was a joy to introduce these bright and gifted young people to Oglethorpe.”

Through UNL, students receive a “New Look” on life. Through the years, UNL has maintained a 100% success rate of participants graduating from high school, and 95% go on to college. Of those college-bound participants, 61% are the first of the families to attend college. Nearly 40% of Oglethorpe’s student body is first-generation college students.

“Young people are a force of nature, and their dreams and goals power the future of our society,” says Careshia Moore, President and CEO of Usher’s New Look. “As the focal point of our programming, the Usher’s New Look Disruptivator Summit is dedicated to providing youth with critical tools and access to help them find their spark, tap into their power, and inspire them to excel with the goal of impacting their communities now and in the future.”

The 2024 summit at Oglethorpe provided students from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances a platform to “disruptivate” (disrupt and innovate) the issues affecting them by offering new approaches, new solutions and real-time opportunities. Program highlights included celebrating the UNL’s 2024 Disruptivator of the Year awardees, taking students on career excursions to Atlanta businesses, mental health and wellness sessions, networking sessions and a Met Gala-style Disruptivator Ball.

This year, the excursions included visits to Savannah College of Art and Design, Emory Healthcare, Atlanta Hawks Basketball, Trilith Studios, Travelers, State Farm, Walmart, Porsche, Captain Planet Foundation, Wells Fargo, Soul Asylum Studio Group, Christopher Wolf Crusade and J’s Kitchen Culinary Incubator.

The summit also featured a Disruptivator Experience event on July 26, bringing together leaders from across a variety of sectors to discuss the future and showcase UNL’s impact over the last 25 years. Sponsors included IBM SkillsBuild, Southwest, FINN Partners, WM Events, and Prima.

The Oglethorpe hosts many events such as conferences and camps during the year and especially during the summer months. To learn more about renting facilities on campus, reach out to Oglethorpe Special Events.