On Oct. 18, over 600 high school students gathered at DePaul University to hear from over five accomplished individuals about how they broke through barriers and how students can use their lessons to thrive in this changing world.

The conference, called NEXT: Talks for the Future Generation, aims to inspire students in pursuing fields ranging from medicine to sports and to take direct action today.

“This is my first time here at this conference and it’s astonishing,” Prospect junior, Peter Kowalski, said. “I am interested in going into law and the speaker clarified that field for me, it was as if she was talking directly to me. The other speakers have shared so much too and it’s just great to be able to learn from their lessons.”

The conference created an educational environment, with this year’s forum focusing on the next generation of leaders. Students not only had the opportunity to hear from experts in various fields but directly connect with them during the intermission. 

Walking through the rows of seats and the main gathering area voices from adults filled the rooms with young students asking follow ups to the speakers and other professionals who attended the event. 

One major similarity between every expert was the same advice over and over again.

“Above all else, it’s important to remember that life is a journey, not a destination,” Dr. Daniel Wozniczka, one of the speakers, said. “Life has twists and turns and it’s hard to predict what will happen. Yet there is one guarantee, as long as the work you do builds upon itself, you will move forward.”

Dr. Wozniczka is a medical professional and public health expert having experience at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a practicing internist and an educator at the University of Chicago.

At the conference, he was the keynote speaker, sharing how he was helped by the community and was able to build upon his experiences through them. He explained how to use the community to build your skills and eventually give back.

“Chicago has helped me so much, I was able to get so many new experiences such as shadowing due to the community here,” Dr. Wozniczka said. “It’s a great opportunity to finally give back through sharing the lessons I had to learn by myself.”

Persistence is the name of the game, this event kept highlighting the need for students and anyone beginning their journey to never give up. Instead, they must build and build.

“Find your passion, work extremely hard at it and risk everything,” Paul Juda, one of the speakers said. “You are at an age where everyone can help you and even if you fail, which you will, you can get up and continue.”

Juda was a member of the United States men’s Olympic gymnastics team, winning the bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Throughout his speech and discussions with students, he continued to speak on the necessity of finding what you love to do and how to become the best at it. 

“When I was in high school I only went to one party, that was it,” Juda said. “It helped me realize that my hard work, my relentless pursuit of my gymnastics goal and the sacrifices I made were worthwhile. I wasn’t missing something that important, I truly said to myself ‘This is what I am missing out on?’ I didn’t have the need to party, I had the need for victory.”

Juda’s story emits the same message as those who spoke at NEXT and others who are just as successful throughout the world. You need to find your passion, what wakes you up and carry that to the top.

These renowned individuals all went through struggle, sacrifice and their own personal life events, yet all of them succeeded because they found what they were good at, grew those skills and used it to propel themselves forward.

In addition to the NEXT Talk on Saturday, the organizers ran workshops for the first time the following day. Each speaker hosted three sessions where they were able to speak to a select group of students that were interested in going into a certain field.

Furthermore, the events started with a power speaker Jakub Bączek who went through a mental activity with the students attending. Students were able to learn to control their emotions and utilize them to their advantage.

This year’s NEXT: Talks for the Future Generation brought together hundreds of students who left the weekend with an experience that hopefully pushed them to the first step of becoming successful.