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“Did you know that Wyoming ranks nearly last nationally in retaining young people?” LIFT founder Tom Grogan asked. “It’s often cited as one of the worst states in retaining young adults, aged 18–29. There’s a huge stigma problem that you have to leave Wyoming to seek out opportunity, and that just isn’t true. That’s where LIFT comes in.”
Lead. Inspire. Fulfill. Together. Those are the words that make up the acronym “LIFT” in LIFT Wyoming, a conference for high school students in Wyoming, now entering its seventh year. For seven years, LIFT Wyoming has existed to promote leadership in young people and explain to them the myriad of benefits of living and working in Wyoming.
Lead
In 2021, Dustin Bleizeffer with WyoFile wrote an article detailing young people’s love for their community, but also their desire to pursue post-high school careers outside of it.
“In my heart I would love to stay in Wyoming,” wrote then-high school senior Stormy Cox. “The majority of my family lives in Wyoming. It’s hard to leave all of them behind and be on my own. If I could stay in Wyoming and still pursue my dreams, I would.”
Those are some of the biggest issues plaguing Wyoming’s young people, according to Grogan, who serves as a teacher and a football coach at Natrona County High School. He says that the state’s young people are Wyoming’s biggest exports, and it’s easy to see why that might be the case.
“The state of Wyoming has done a lot of work in trying to create a space for young professionals,” Grogan said. “But the majority of the dollars and efforts have gone into people post-college, and in some cases, college. But nobody is trying to reach these kids in high school.”
Inspire
The purpose of LIFT Wyoming is to speak to high school students where (and when) they’re at. The one-day conference features a variety of breakout speakers, all of whom have found varying degrees of success within Wyoming. The conference also features three keynote speakers who share their own stories of success with attendees, offering real-world examples of what it means to lift up and inspire others while following their own dreams and passions.
“Our headliner, if you want to call him that this year, is a renowned speaker,” Grogan shared. “He’s spoken all over the country in a variety of different venues. His name is Dallin Cooper, and the main theme of his speech for LIFT this year is dealing with challenging conversations and challenging circumstances — something that is very fitting for these kids that are getting ready to move on and make the first big decisions of their lives.”
Also speaking at the event are Casey Sedlack, a consultant with Startup Wyoming, and Pete Obermueller, the President of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming.
All three speakers will share their stories of lifting themselves and others up, inspiring those around them, and finding fulfillment in their own lives. Each speaker will also say that they didn’t do any of those things on their own.
Fulfill
And that’s the point of LIFT Wyoming. As the name implies, the conference itself is designed to help lift up young people. It’s designed to help them find their own purpose in a world that makes it difficult to do just that. Each keynote speaker, each breakout speaker — they each have their own perspective, their own journey, their own story. And each of them has a heart for young people. They want to see the next generation find those same levels of success but, even more importantly, those same levels of fulfillment.
“We’re doing this with a servant’s heart,” Grogan said. “We’re literally doing it for the benefit of Wyoming, because we see value in this place and we love it here and just want to make it better. I think, the way we were brought up is, you want to leave something better than how you found it. And Wyoming has been so good to us, we just want to try and give back and try and make the next generation have an opportunity that we didn’t have.”
LIFT Wyoming isn’t a school-sanctioned event, meaning parents will have to excuse their student from classes for the day, but past students confirm that the experience is absolutely worth the day of missed classes.
“This is my third year attending the LIFT conference, and it’s my first year as a LIFT Wyoming ambassador,” said Carson Munari, a senior at Natrona County High School. “In the past, my favorite part of the day was the engagement with the breakout speakers. Last year, my breakout group was full of engineers and they really showed me the opportunity to see my path to success anywhere in the world, but especially in Wyoming.”
For students like Munari, LIFT is a chance to spend an entire day listening to stories of inspiration. It’s also an opportunity to meet new people, make new friends, and start the journey toward the rest of their lives.
“This year, I’m excited to listen to the keynote speakers, make connections for internships for college and, because it’s my third year and my last year, I am looking forward to really engaging with any of the speakers I can, to get everything out of the day and take it with me after graduation,” Munari said.
Munari isn’t alone. LIFT Wyoming started out as a small conference that could fill a room no problem, but now it’s expanded to the Casper College Krampert Hall main stage. Every year, it’s packed to the brim with students of all ages, which just shows how many young people want to learn more about themselves, about their state, and about their futures.
“I think every parent wants their kid to have an opportunity to experience something unique,” Grogan said. “And this — being able to hear some of the best and brightest minds in Wyoming do their thing, and giving their kids an opportunity to have an understanding of what it takes to travel down any path but especially paths of people who are doing really cool stuff in our state — is a great opportunity. I think what LIFT does, in trying to bolster our young people, is really cool. As a parent, I can say that my son is going. And I think if more parents knew about it, they’d want their kids to go as well.”
Together
Grogan is quick to point out that the LIFT conference wouldn’t be possible without the help from parents, students, teachers, coaches, government officials, and more. Grogan said that the organization would not be able to run without the support and hard work of the LIFT Wyoming board, as well as help from sponsors, including Casper College, whose support has made this year’s event seamless in preparation. LIFT Wyoming is a team effort across the board, and it wouldn’t happen without the support of countless individuals and organizations, all of whom believe in the next generation of Wyoming’s young people.
“We want our kids to be exposed to leadership, and leadership is really hard to teach without doing it yourself,” Grogan said. “Being able to hear the stories from people is a really important component of leadership. Plus, it’s fun! It’s fun for the kids. We want them to enjoy themselves and not have it be just another day in the classroom.”
LIFT is far more than just “another day in the classroom.” It’s a unique, hands-on, immersive experience designed to instill and model leadership in Wyoming’s young people, showing them that they have the power and ability to shape their own futures and the future of Wyoming, itself.
“I think, for both parents and for kids, the question everybody asks is, ‘What does Wyoming have to offer for me?’” Grogan said. “And we’re trying to answer that question because I think a lot of kids, especially, don’t necessarily see the value of a future in Wyoming. And part of the experience of coming to LIFT is recognizing that there is opportunity, and it’s not just in the oil and gas industry; there are actually a variety of different avenues. And, really, the choice that you get to make in this next part of your journey, it doesn’t have to be alone. You don’t have to be alone. We want to provide an opportunity for you to connect with people who’ve done it before you and who want to help you in whatever journey that you’re taking.”
Students will have the opportunity to lead, inspire, and fulfill together, Wednesday, May 6 at Casper College (Gertrude Krampert Center) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students in grades 10–12 can register online at liftwyo.com. Lunch and snacks will be provided on campus.
This is a school-approved absence. Not a school-sanctioned event.
For more information about LIFT Wyoming, including schedules, speakers, ways to help out and more, visit the LIFT Wyoming website.
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