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