“Somehow last November (’05), God began to lay on my heart the idea of establishing a freshman leadership conference, named after and inspired by David and his faithful legacy of leadership and service. It’s amazing now to realize but God had been preparing the way for this conference even before David died by placing me on Exec Council, where I had the opportunity to begin to layout the vision and goals for the conference and gain approval from the leadership at Texas A&M to move ahead.” -Rachel Toppert
The conference is named after David Gilbert, a student leader from A&M who made the most of opportunity given to him in his freshman and sophomore years. David was the definition of a leader at Texas A&M, but his time and contribution to A&M was cut short when he lost his battle with lymphoma in June of 2005. Through his involvment, particularly in student government, and countless relationships, he left a legacy of leadership, service, and integrity that is revered by everyone who knew him.
