David Hogg, Parkland school shooting survivor and gun control activist, to speak at Cal Poly
David Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 Parkland school shooting and co-founder of March for Our Lives, will be the keynote speaker at Cal Poly’s annual Student Leadership Institute conference on Friday.
The theme of this year’s one-day conference is “Amplify the Voices of All Leaders,” and it is open to students only. It will be held from 12 to 6:30 p.m. in the campus’ multi-activity center in the Recreation Center.
“The Student Leadership Institute will bring students from a variety of experience levels together to learn from each other and explore topics that are rich and relevant to our campus community,” said Jason Mockford, director of Leadership and Service at Cal Poly, in a news release. “I’m excited to see what students take away from the experience, whether they are just beginning their leadership journey or have been exercising their skills for years.”
During the conference, Hogg, 22, will take part in a moderated student interview, meet-and-greet session and Q&A session, along with presenting the keynote address.
“Hogg was a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, when a lone teen gunman opened fire and killed 17 students and school staff members on Feb. 14, 2018,” a press release about the Student Leadership Institute conference said. “The tragedy prompted Hogg to co-found March for Our Lives, a youth-led movement dedicated to promoting civic engagement, education and direct action by youth to eliminate gun violence.”
Hogg’s appearance at Cal Poly will come shortly after closing arguments concluded Tuesday in the penalty trial of Nikolas Cruz, who pleaded guilty in 2021 for killing 17 and wounding another 17 in the Parkland school shooting. The jury must decide whether Cruz, now 24, will get the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
The Student Leadership Institute conference will also feature a session titled “Truth-Based Leadership for Public Policy” led by Charles Feltman, founder of Insight Coaching and author of the book “The Thin Book of Trust.”
For more information on the Student Leadership Institute and how to attend, visit: leadership.calpoly.edu/SLI.
