#NSBE50 - ITP@NSBE 2024
ITP sent students to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the 50th NSBE Annual Convention
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States. NSBE, founded in 1975, supports and promotes the aspirations of collegiate and pre-collegiate students and technical professionals in engineering and technology.
This year, NSBE celebrates its 50th annual convention since the organization's creation. ITP took this opportunity to sponsor two ITP minor students to attend the conference, to represent USC, Viterbi and ITP.
![Blue Skies with full clouds, and the Mercedes Center just outside the NSBE venue.](https://itp.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_6716.jpeg)
The 2024 NSBE conference was hosted at the massive Georgia World Congress Center. This included a large exhibition hall consisting of hundreds of companies/schools/organizations interested in meeting the NSBE professional attendees, including our ITP students.
NSBE attendees were also given the opportunity to choose from an enormous amount of discussions, working sessions, and panels covering a wide variety of topics from resume building, to how to help build strong communities.
What should you know if you plan on attending a professional conference in the future?
Here is some advice from Rahinatou Sawadogo, one of the students selected by ITP to recieve our NSBE Conference sponsorship:
"Use resources like Career Center to polish your resume and practice interview skills beforehand. Research the attending companies to tailor your networking efforts effectively. Most importantly, approach the conference intentionally and professionally, setting clear goals for what you hope to achieve.
Lastly, for those attending their first conference, you're more capable than you realize. Embrace the opportunity to learn from industry leaders, and don't hesitate to seize internship opportunities if they arise. Approach each interaction with an open mind and a willingness to absorb as much knowledge as possible."
-Rahinatou Sawagodo
![Student Rahinatou Sawadogo in front of a NSBE backdrop](https://itp.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1711606470839.jpeg)
All in all, NSBE was an amazing experience for both the ITP students and staff that attended, and we hope to be able to continue providing support to USC students via attending more professional conferences in the future. If you would like to learn more about USC's NSBE chapter or NSBE as a whole, please check the links below.