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Rising sophomores gathered at the University’s inaugural Charge Back program, in advance of the start of the Fall semester, gearing up for another successful year as members of the Charger community.

One would even say they were holding themselves accountable in making sure they were prepped and ready for the start of their second year, a critical time for college students.

David Sussman, a business executive and entrepreneur who was the special keynote speaker at the event, said just that in his motivational message to the crowd of second-year students who, he said, “showed up.”

“Being accountable to where you’ve been and where you’re going, that’s the difference between success and failure,” Sussman said.

Sussman shared several stories from his own personal experiences of growing up, entering the job market, where he came from, where he is now, and how he got there.

All of these stories tied back to accountability.

“When you take control and you understand what accountability is, it really makes sense,” he told the group. “When I embraced my personal accountability in my youth, and as I grew up, I realized that my successes started to skyrocket.”

He went on to say that he endeavored to lead his family differently and inspire his community differently, going on to build high-performing teams in the company that he led.

So, he decided to change accountability to Ucountability, “because it starts with you.”

Holding themselves accountable is something Sussman stressed to the students as they headed into their second year.

“Ucountability builds that muscle of showing up,” he said. “Ucountability is that muscle.”

Skipping class, or “ghosting” someone are examples that he gave of a missed opportunity to grow or to build a network.

“You let a day slip by without following through on your goals, that kills your momentum,” Sussman said, adding that Ucountability is the “ultimate life hack.”

Sussman’s speech ended with him sharing an opportunity for those in the crowd to scan a QR code, rate his speech, and enter to be selected as one of 25 students to work with him on creating an app, which will also include leadership and mentorship opportunities.