December 13th, 2013

Dear Gentlemen,

I hope this letter finds you all in a positive position working towards the completion of your semesters. Regardless of how you feel your finals will turn out each of you have earned a well deserved break. Many of the previous drivers were focused more on motivation towards the preparing and performance for our finals, but we are nearing the end of that phase in our semesters. Hence, this driver will deviate from the motivational tone most of our drivers have had for a while, and will help begin the transition into our breaks.

Inspiration: A handshake. That is all that it was and yet it has sent shock-waves through the diplomatic and news world. At the memorial for the late Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama shook hands with current Cuban leader Raul Castro exchanged a few words, and then moved on. However, this is the first time in nearly 13 years that physical interaction has occurred between leaders of the U.S. and Cuba. This has begun talks on relaxed tensions between the U.S. and Cuba, newspapers have printed countless articles about this 10 second interaction, and it all comes from a simple handshake. I explain this situation to you guys today because it is amazing that despite all the chaos unfolding on the different corners of the world, despite the countless number of children fighting as child soldiers in the continent of my ancestors, and despite the fact that our government barely passed another bill to ward off financial instability today while ensuring financial ruin down the road, the press is concerned with a simple handshake. As you guys can tell, I like to over-analyze situations. From this particular one I have taken two major points. The first is that the world is a cruel but honest place. The reason this is such a big matter is because of the heightened status of these two individuals from rival countries. Quite simply, if you "matter" people will care, but if you "don't matter" they will just as quickly turn a blind eye to you in your time of need. It is a sad truth, but a vital fact that one who wants to change the world must keep in mind. Until you are somebody no one will care what you are doing, or what your plans are. Once you have become accomplished, and until your downfall or demise, people listen intensively to your every word. The moral is don't get comfortable on the top and be careful that you truly know who your true friends are. The second observation I made was that while these figures who attract tremendous attention have a lot of influence not all of them use it for the right purpose. It is easy to get comfortable at the top and neglect those you should care for or even represent. For instance, I earlier mentioned how Congress managed to pass another bill that takes the pressure off of our financial constraints. I am trying to simplify this for the sake of time, but the essence of the matter is Congress refuses to get its finances under control, and uses the fate of our country's financial stability time and time again to try and sway the public in support of a certain party's political agenda. Neither wishes to compromise, and eventually their bickering will lead to a disastrous fate for our country. Meanwhile we spiral deeper in debt, and watch as our politicians come from a smaller and smaller pool of entitled, well-off, privately funded individuals. I am not here to complain about the state of our nation, but I simply want to shed light for you guys on what I see as a big problem in our society. If we truly want to see drastic change in the way our country is run, we need to drastically change the demographic of our countries leaders. We can watch, learn, and prepare ourselves to one day accept similar roles, but in the meantime we must actively prepare ourselves in such a way that positive change, and innovative opportunities can come from our leadership. We must be a beacon of positive change in the world around us. So someday when major press and news networks are talking about one of our brief handshakes, let the developed gentleman we have become be as morally concerned as he is publicly appreciated.

Encouragement: I would like to to talk about the momentous accomplishment of our fellow League member Ethan! He has secured the first copyright of any member in the League, and I personally wish him the best in the future of his movie. I have been able to read a considerable part of the script and I can already say that this is something I would love to see in reality, keep up the good work bro I'm right behind you 100%. On that note I would like to encourage all of you to follow through with Ethan's suggestion of writing out your goals. I personally believe that having goals on paper, in a place you can go back and read is very powerful. It helps bring you back to the mind-state you were in when you set those goals and can help you accomplish them even when faced with strong adversity. Also I know that in the past week I have felt very overwhelmed, but one of my favorite quotes by Og Mandino helped me get through it. The quote reads:

"I will persist until I succeed. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.... I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking."

So if the grind gets hard for you gentlemen (or if it has been hard) and you feel like you just want to quit, remember...just another step. One step is not too hard. One more problem won't hurt. One more set can't kill you. Though I assure you that the sum of you extra effort will someday make all the difference.

Testimonial: I completed my Engineering Analysis final on Monday, and my Physics final earlier on Thursday My Chemistry and Calculus finals are tomorrow and I plan to go in confidently and prepared to succeed. I have submitted my list of goals for next year, and I plan to stick to it and accomplish everything I have set out for myself. This break I will plan out the rest of my academic career, and will begin to apply for study abroad scholarships. I pray that I don't run into any problems that I can't handle, and I know that God is leading me in the right direction. I promise you guys I will aid you to the best of my abilities to accomplish your goals for the next year, and I look forward to a future I can positively impact.

Furthermore: I challenge each of you guys to stay humble, to remember that we are nothing yet, and that we have to cash in our potential for long lasting accomplishments. Remember to focus on what will matter 5, 10, or 20 years from now, and not always on immediate results. Next Monday we look forward to hearing from Kris, and I look forward to seeing many of you over this Christmas Break.

Be Great,

Chukwuemeka K. Ukaga

December 5th, 2013

Morning Gentlemen,

I hope the day finds you healthy, enthusiastic, and ready for action. If you do not feel like all three of those things, I will try my utmost to rekindle that fire in you. It is my desire to prepare you all to succeed today. It is my desire to prepare you all for greatness today. It is my DUTY to ensure I put my best effort into bringing forth your talent and abilities to conquer the challenges that dare to face you today. So let's get started. (Note: this will be a longer driver, read it early in the day, but wait till you have about 20 minutes to read it in its entirety.)

Inspiration: Detroit yesterday was given the legal right to cut the pensions of thousands of retired individuals to deal with their current debt crisis. Due to the mismanagement of money on the executive level, and the eventual bankruptcy of a major city, many people will spend the rest of their lives cheated out of what they worked for...In other news the Yankees just signed Jacoby Ellsbury just last night. I am not much of a baseball guy, but this man is obviously a commodity because he was able to garner up a 7 year deal world $153 million. Why juxtapose these two issues, or talk about baseball in a daily driver? For two major reasons actually. 

The most obvious one is that one man last night got assurance that for the next 7 years (and many years after that) he will be living well off. He will be rich for many years to come, his kids, his spouse, his family and friends, basically anyone connected to him will benefit from the work he has put towards "beating at his craft". On the other side of the coin is the thousands of old, retired individuals who figured out yesterday that they will have to cut back. They will not live their last days in comfort or peace, they now have to change their budgets, possibly how they shop, what they do, etc. all because of some executive mismanagement. I'm not here to talk about social justice or the morality of this I am here giving you guys a choice. 

We are newborns basically in the professional world. Like a fetus that looks gender-less we have no profession yet, no job, no serious responsibilities. Our possibilities are endless, we have not faced true rejection or failure yet. The next 10 years of our lives will set us up for success or failure. Our decisions NOW will determine if we work for someone else, and leave our pensions and futures in the hands of others, or if we ultimately run our own lives. Whether we work for someone else's dream, or if we profit pursuing our own. The pensioners worked for someone else for years and left their future and retirement out of their control...they paid for it, and Ellsbury pursued his passion in baseball and is now making hundreds of millions of dollars doing what he loves. Like I said, the choice is yours. 

My second point is a more abstract one. As the League we want to someday control the precipices of society. With that role will come responsibility. We will someday have the power to give away millions of dollars, as the owner of the Yankees does, to people to simply play and entertain us, and we will also be in charge of the welfare of thousands of people, as the Detroit government was. NOW is the time to begin building your moral character, so you can be a just and honorable leader. Gentlemen we want to lead society, but we must lead it in the right direction.

Encouragement: You woke up (blessing 1). You are alive and well (blessing 2). Your family is still supporting you, and you have the opportunity today to make your future dreams a reality (blessing 3). You have surrounded yourself with like-minded forward thinking individuals who will push you to your limits, and who will accept nothing but the best from you (blessing 4). You could learn something today that could change the rest of your life forever, or you could sleep for 12 hours and do nothing...you have the freedom of choice (blessing 5). You see the day has barely begun and you are already being bathed in blessings left and right. We live in the land of opportunity, in the Golden Age of our race, with unlimited resources and a multitude of knowledge available to us at anytime. We have the ability to leave a legacy that people will talk about for years to come, or we could destroy our planet and leave future generations denouncing us for ages. You see, just as we learn about the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans someday people will learn of the United States of America, The Peoples Republic of China, and Great Britain. Generations will talk about the birth of the internet as if it were as important as the invention of fire (which it very well might live up to be). We live in a time where change, growth, and accomplishments are highly possible, and will forever be remembered. There has been no better time to be a human being on Earth. So, if you just plan to make it through the day, or survive...you not only waste the chances you've been given, you waste opportunities that other humans would have killed to have. This is our time, our world, our age...let's ensure it is admired in the history books.

Testimonial: One of my mentors here on campus was talking to me during my advising meeting a couple weeks back, and he reminded me of this today. You see, we all know we are succeeding, people are noticing and telling us "Wow you're smart", "You're going places", "You're a leader", and letting you realize "Hey I do stand out from the crowd, I am a special breed!" However, my counselor has chosen a different way of talking to me. 

You see he knows I work hard, he see my grades, the clubs I participate in, how I carry myself etc., and he knows that I am already receiving a lot of praise from other people. However the most important thing is he sees the potential I have in myself, something I feel we all possess. What he told me was simple. "Don't start feeling yourself now." What does that mean "Don't start feeling yourself..."? It means we are in college, if we dropped out today we would be nothing. It means we've almost completed a semester, cool we have 7+ to go. It means yeah we are leaders among our peers, amazing, but if we died today what greatness would our obituary talk about. You see we are just bundles of potential, and I'm sorry to let you guys know that potential is often wasted. We must remain positive, we must strive for success, we must stay committed to the cause, but we can't start slipping now, you know why? Because we aren't competing with our peers who are content with graduating with a 2.0, we are competing with the guy who is trying to start a company while acing all his tests over at Oregon State. We aren't competing with the kids who will drop out from Cal Tech this term, we are competing with the ones who have started creating the next Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. We are not competing with the kids who decided "Oh well, college is not for me back to working at Wal-Mart." Hell no! We are striving to catch up with the guy who just landed an internship at Google. You see the fact of the matter is even if we are in the top 5% of the students in college, we are still only 6/140,000. That is less than a 1000th of a percent. That's not noticeable or even mentionable, and that is considering we are better than sophomores, juniors, and senior, ignoring recent graduates all together.

What's the point in all this. Well humans work for rewards. A's on tests, money, and praise are some of the top rewards we as humans get. So everytime we get a positive comment from someone, we unconsciously congratulate ourselves. Each positive comment makes us feel like we have reached a minor goal or accomplishment, and what does that do, it breeds laziness. It breeds inefficiency, it breeds lack of effort. "Why the extra lap? I'm already fast. Why study more? I'm naturally smart. Why put in the work, I'm smarter than the average kid, I'll catch up when I have time. This is the reason that so much potential remains untapped and eventually wasted. People feel they have reached they have accomplished a lot prematurely, and settle before they actually reach their goals. How do you keep yourself from falling into this trap? How do we ensure that we get to use all the potential we have at this point in life? Don't tell yourself you've made it. Don't tell yourself it is getting easier, pray it gets harder so as my dad always says "The system can weed out more competition, while I remain." Don't get complacent, start cutting corners, or doing stuff the easy way. We can't afford that. So the next time you get a compliment about your work ethic, or academic success, thank the person, smile, and then remind yourself you are successful on their scale, but according to you: well you've yet to graduate, you don't own a company, no one in the League is a millionaire so...your still where you started. Your still working towards a greater goal, and an A isn't good enough. Leading a club isn't good enough. College grad isn't good enough! You have succeeded in their eyes not yours and you will not stop till you have accomplished every single objective you have in life. If you properly follow this, you will never be satisfied. You will always want to work towards something else, and you will be able to work towards it with a focus and drive like no other. I have begun to try and practice this method and way of thinking. I won't lie it's hard, some times I fail, and it is easy to compare yourself with others not working as hard, but I am getting better. I will reach the point where my drive is infinite, where I cannot be stopped, where compliments won't please me because the only thing that matters is reaching my goals and not the "protocol" or minor success in between. Potential is not success, though they are easily confused. I hope you guys can take away from this mindset I am trying to form, and practice it as well. 

Furthermore: Gentlemen I am not just saying these things just to say them. If you look around you can see untapped talent wasted all around us, from star high school athletes turned restaurant employee, to intelligent college kids now living in their parents basement. Also in the workforce, imagine the number of Bill Gates and Elon Musks who said to themselves "I'm pretty smart, I won't work hard and I'll make 6 figures as an engineer." Do not accept compliments and risk settling, stay hungry and unsatisfied. I wish you all the best of luck as you strive to complete you first term in college, and I hope you have gained something to use through your day from my words. Tomorrow we will here from Kris.

Don't accept average...not today,

Chukwuemeka K. Ukaga

November 27th, 2013

Dear Gentlemen,

It's good to finally be back home, but I plan to still work hard during this break. I encourage all of you to also have safe, enjoyable, but productive breaks as well.

Inspiration: Yesterday I flew into Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport. It was the first time I have flown alone and as an adult so I decided to dress up and look professional. This small action had a very surprising effect as to how people treated me. First of all everyone, flight attendants, TSA officers, and other passengers addressed me as sir. Also when I was waiting to board my flight, I was also asked twice if I was flying business class. I'm saying this not to brag but to remind you guys people ARE watching us. Remember when some of us were asked that Thursday last school year at Panda Express what company we worked for? That was solely because we looked the part. If you pay attention to how you dress people will pay attention to you. 

Encouragement: I want all of you to enjoy your breaks as well but don't waste the time you have now and wish you had used it better later. I had a dream that I was returning to Pitt having done no work since I had flown home. Now that was a dream I had nearly 3 days ago, but it still troubles me and I know the only way I can calm myself is to work very hard this break and prevent that dream from becoming a reality. Remember, there are many people who have worked very hard only to miss out due to not finishing strong. Napoleon, Hitler, Alexander the Great. All these men whether hated or loved came close to their goals, but did not finish strong. Do not settle, go out, get what you're worth, and live knowing you put your best foot forward.

Testimonial: This Thanksgiving Break will not be wasted. I will study hard. I will adequately prepare myself for all my finals, and I will preform well. I will write my Drivers before I go to bed so I no longer forget or release them late.

Furthermore: Ethan's idea of writing out goals, and steps toward those goals so we can help keep each other on track is outstanding. I for one am all for it and plan to send you guys a list of my goals shortly. Again sorry for the late Driver and happy Thanksgiving.

Time to kick Gentlemen,

Chukwuemeka K. Ukaga

November 19th, 2013

-Missed Due to Mis-Communication-

November 11th, 2013

Good Morning Gentlemen,

I hope you are all doing well. this will seem to be sent very early, as I sent it before going to bed tonight (Eastern Time).

*Inspiration:* This weekend, from Friday afternoon Sunday morning, I was in Charlotte, North Carolina for a National Society of Black Engineers Conference. It was very exciting and I got to network with individuals and meet with companies. However the places I learned the most this weekend were at the workshops. Keith Humphrey, the National Professional Chair of NSBE talked in one of the workshops I attended about networking. What really inspired me was his ending quote from one the Vice Presidents of of the Trump Organization. George H. Ross's quote was:

"To be successful, you have to be able to relate to people; they have to be satisfied with your personality to be able to do business with you and to build a relationship with mutual trust."

This quote alone has begun to gear my thought process in life toward an entirely new direction. Yes gentlemen, we must strive to improve ourselves as individuals, but we must also cultivate personalities that will draw (and keep) talented acquaintances in our circles.

*Encouragement:* This week I was reading through a lot of inspirational material, and watching a lot of inspirational movies etc. I came across what used to be my favorite Shakespeare quote, but one that I had forgotten for a while.

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."

If you guys know much about Shakespeare you might know that the context of this quote is not one of honorable distinction, it actually is a play on irony, however the implications of the quote hold true. Some are born into situations where no matter their choices in life they will be great. Others achieve great things through their actions, choices, or hard work. And lastly, some are thrown into positions where greatness is knocking on their door. I truly believe we have been blessed collectively. We may have worked hard, and focused in school, but none of you can deny the fact that we have surrounded ourselves with a solid group of hardworking like-minded individuals pushing us to our best each and every day. Many people would dream of a situation like this. We have had greatness thrown upon us, and it is up to us to ensure that we make the most of it.

*Testimonial:* This weekend I had a revelation during the closing party that NSBE had for the collegiate students. I have no idea if it was divine inspiration or whatever, but midway through the party I felt unhappy. Not sad, just out of place, and not satisfied. All the dancing and music around me just seemed all of a sudden irrelevant, and so I left. I walked out of the ballroom without alerting my friends and kept walking till I found myself in the hotel parking lot. I kept walking, exploring downtown Charlotte at night, circling the blocks of around the hotel and thinking to myself, "why am I unsatisfied"? I started receiving texts from my Pitt friends asking where I was, but I ignored them. I was frustrated at this point, because I felt there was some underlying emotion I was searching for. I had felt this way before, and I decided that I would figure out why before I left Charlotte. As I started walking back to my hotel room, I passed by the lounge the had reserved for students who wished to do homework, or study while at the conference. That's when it hit me. I always worked in high school because I knew I needed good grades for college. I always went to practice for sports so I could compete come race/game day. I've always done things because I've wanted things. From here on out, I have decided I will only do things if I want to do them. I shouldn't see Chemistry or Physics as tasks to complete to become an engineer. They should be classes I take to learn the material. Because I know that I won't succeed if I continue to see classes, relationships, homework, etc. as obstacles and not tools. I challenge the rest of you to try my new approach if you already aren't.

*Furthermore:* I wish all of you the best of luck in the coming weeks. I ask that you guys continue to remind me to study for my finals as the week does get busy and I know that if I read it everyday I will eventually start. And lastly I hope that I have helped provide you with some inspiration help you grow, and to improve some aspect of your life. I look forward to hearing from Kris tomorrow and Ethan will be formally in charge of the twitter this week.

Seize your greatness Gentlemen,

Chukwuemeka K. Ukaga

November 1st, 2013

Good Morning Gentlemen,

I would like to give you all a good old East Coast greeting! This will seem to be quite a bit early but keep in mind I am one time zone ahead of you. I just finished studying for a quiz I have tomorrow morning and decided to send this out so I won't have to worry about it in the morning. Keep up the hard work brothers, this is the start of something great.

Inspiration: This Wednesday I attended a conference at Pitt where the winners of last years Nobel Peace Prize in Physics were speaking about their research.. I was amazed that I was in the presence of some spectacular individuals that have already changed the world in such an amazing way, and that I was part of such an important moment in history. Though these individuals were Nobel Peace Prize winners, they were willing to answer questions regarding their experiments and research to all of us students and professors with less experience. We should all take this as a lesson for when we do become successful in life. We must remember to take time to give back to those who don't know as much as us, or don't have the opportunities we have. Also, during the presentation the professors who were conducting research mentioned that multiple "UNDERGRADUATE" students participated in their ground breaking research! That means that many students like us are now going down in history as participating in Nobel Prize winning research. Sadly the information was too advanced for me so I could not fully understand what they were talking about, though their research on the Higgs Boson was tremendously inspiring. More relevantly though, this should help inspire us to reach for the stars in our respective fields, and aim to achieve the greater reward.

Encouragement: Today I read that Syria has had many of its chemical weapon facilities shutdown. Since the Arab spring that erupted during our sophomore year, rebel fighters have been fighting for the liberties that we take for granted everyday. These men, women, and children have been given a glimmer of hope today as the U.N, U.S, and other countries/coalitions take steps to make Syria accountable for what it has been doing for the past 2.5 years. We should remember that we are given the opportunity to express ourselves, do what we want, and pursue our dreams. Don't forget that. Whenever I feel tired, beat down, or stressed out by life, I remember that I am one village, one family, one sibling away from remaining in Africa. If my parents hadn't come over to the U.S., I wouldn't have the education I am receiving now. Remember brothers that we are given an opportunity that others dream of. If you can't put in the work for yourself, or your ambitions, do it for those who would. Do it for those who don't have the option to. Do it so someday, you can ensure that everyone who has something to give to the world has a just opportunity to refine his/her talents.

Testimonial: This week I plan to participate in more conferences, seminars, and workshops. I plan to contribute to all my organizations, but most importantly I plan to put in the work to succeed in all my subjects by studying more for my upcoming tests and attending office hours like I have this week. By managing my time successfully, and making the most of the many opportunities I have been graced with, I plan to excel in all I do for myself, my family, and the League as a whole...so help me God. Furthermore: During my one-on-one with one of my counselors today I was told something very important. Mr. Saunders told me, "Emeka, everyone is called to do something in life...but some are also chosen...I can tell by how you carry yourself, and how you lead others that your are special. I can tell that you have been chosen to do something great, I can't tell what yet, but I can tell you are chosen." I swear to you guys as he was saying this to me, I couldn't help but start thinking of all of you, and of the League. Ethan was right, people are noticing, people are starting to realize that we as individuals strive for something more than above average. We want to achieve things that others fear undertaking. However the truth is, I fear what the future may hold. I plan to enroll in a dual-degree program, participate in study abroad, co-ops, internships, research, and many other things in my undergraduate career. Many would look at me and say it is impossible, some will say it will overwhelm me, but I will not waver. I know I have 5 brothers out there who are sacrificing just as much to achieve similar things in life as me. Will you all continue to choose the greater reward ? I know I will.


Till next time Gentlemen,

Chukwuemeka K. Ukaga
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Sorry I forgot to add that Kris Singh will be addressing us tomorrow.

Stay driven,

Chukwuemeka K. Ukaga