2024 Student Summit was Super Charged!

River  

If you were wondering what my New Year’s Resolutions list looked like, here you go:

Every January for the past 17 years, my batteries are recharged at the TAPPI-PIMA Student Summit. The prior calendar year’s worry and strife seem like a distant faded memory. As soon as I walk into the opening session, I’m greeted by a sea of brilliant students and their enthusiastic academic advisors all pumped up and ready to jump into this energy-filled weekend.

The crowd, smarter than the year before, has big smiles on their faces, wide-open eyes and the heart and passion dedicated to improving, changing, and enhancing the greatness of the greenest industry in the world.

This year’s event was held in Greenville, SC, January 12-15, 2024. We had 195 students from 15 schools, 24 sponsors (of which 21 held interviews), 72 speakers, moderators, and panelists, 3 mill tours, and 10 TAPPI staff members. Over 300 attendees in total—record attendance for this event!

Speaking of dedication, one of our participating schools, Western Michigan University’s flight was canceled in Detroit. After multiple hours of airport time, they did not give up. The group rode a bus to be with us on Saturday afternoon through Monday’s mill tours. That’s the dedication and resilience we see in our NextGen. 

I am so thankful for all the time and effort from our team and all the volunteers from our schools and businesses who hit this year’s event out of the park. We look forward to seeing you January 17-20, 2025, in St. Petersburg, FL. Now that’s one New Year’s resolution worth keeping. 

A big thank you to the 2024 Student Summit Planning Committee and TAPPI Staff:

Planning Committee

Special Role Name
PIMA Session Co-chair Lea Scrapchansky
  Naomi Gehling
  Zhihua Jiang
YP Panel Chair Stephen Bussa
  Kurt Mehlberg
  Talia Massey
  Lexi Stoneburner
  Chris Luettgen
  Erin Phillips
  Brittani Wilson
  Tracy Studebaker
  Kathleen Collins
  Skyler McAffry
  Gary Rudemiller
  Steven Keller
  Emma Krabbe
Planning Committee Chair Med Byrd
  Samuel Webb
  Kaya Kusmierczuk
PIMA Session Co-chair Jay Stockard
  Larry Anker
Pecha Kucha Chair Sarah Loner
Trivia Chair Gary Scott
  Nicole Byrnes
  Paul Sausville
  Tom Schwartz
  Peyton Chahley
  Zoe North
  Ellie LeDuc
  Ulrike Tschirner
  Olivia Boudjouk
  Karyn Biasca
  Ted Fitzsimmons
  Philip Wells
  Jen Johnson
  Elise Ciciura
  Mira Marino
  Nick Millen
  Ashley Randall
  Rowan Edmonds
  Sophia Louden
Engineering Competition Chair Todd Varner
  Roger Smith
  Troy Wilson

 

TAPPI STAFF

Onsite or Planning Andrew Rittersbacher
Both Jonathan Adan
Both Jadana Donely
Planning Kristin Dixon
Planning Rachel Labgold
Both Lisa Lockwood
Both Mary Beth Cornell
Contractor Paula Emde
Both Portia Aofiyebi
Onsite Lawton Roberts
Onsite Simona Bethea
Onsite Larry Montague
Onsite John Addington
Onsite Bridgette Brigham

  

 

 

 

 

TAPPI
http://www.tappi.org/