Jeff Lucas’ Post

This past weekend we hosted roughly 150 students for the 5th annual UA Innovate. I’m still amazed at what our students accomplished and how well the event went! First, a massive shoutout to the student leadership team who planned and executed the event. Pulling off something of this scale is incredibly complex, yet the execution was nearly flawless. That level of professionalism doesn’t happen by accident. It reflects months of planning, collaboration, and ownership. I want to give special recognition to Kate Owens and Mary Kate McConnell, who served as our internal and external logistics leads. Simply put, events like this don’t happen without people willing to handle a thousand moving pieces behind the scenes. Their leadership set the tone for the entire event. We’re also incredibly grateful to our 12 sponsors, whose generosity helped us raise $55,000 to support the event. Your investment makes experiential learning opportunities like this possible, and our students directly benefit from your support. What always stands out to me most is how much students learn in an environment like this. When students are given space to focus, create, experiment, and solve problems the growth is exponential. Skills develop faster, confidence grows, and learning becomes deeply personal. It was also a lot of fun! From top-of-the-hour games and prizes to brain breaks that included an unforgettable Just Dance session and some truly impressive karaoke performances (yes I'm looking at you Molly Waldron), the energy never faded. Innovation works best when creativity and joy are part of the process. As we celebrate year five, I also want to recognize everyone who helped build UA Innovate into what it is today. Each year has added something new, and if this felt like our best event yet, it’s only because we’re building on the work of those who came before us. As Isaac Newton famously said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Thank you Emily Moye for having the vision to create this legacy. To everyone who planned, sponsored, mentored, competed, and supported, thank you for making UA Innovate such a special experience for our students. Looking forward to year six!!