ABOUT THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF LEADERSHIP AND SUCCESS

Before there was the NSLS, founder Gary Tuerack traveled to campuses throughout the country giving presentations on leadership development. Wanting to have a more long-term impact than his individual speeches, he sought to truly affect students’ lives in a more powerful and lasting way. He teamed up with supporting colleges, leading education organizations, and top speakers to develop a program that gives students continual motivation, support, and leadership training in a way that is cost-effective for schools and actionable for students who want to become better leaders.

In September 2001, thousands of students gathered inside college auditoriums to watch the first live broadcast from the NSLS featuring award-winning speakers from around the country. With just 131 members at 16 campuses, the benefits available to students and schools began to speak for themselves. Through word-of-mouth and a growing network, the NSLS became known as the honor society to join if you truly wanted to make a difference and propel your future.

More than 20 years later, the NSLS has reached over 1.5 million student members in all 50 states and awards scholarships each year to help fund their dreams. The organization has grown significantly, adding more curriculum, digital programming options, and events to bring students together in a community of success-oriented peers.

The NSLS exists for the sole purpose of creating lasting positive change. Beginning with only a handful of chapters, the NSLS now reaches over a million students at campuses across the nation. Through program benefits, scholarships and awards, accreditation (through NCCRS and ACE), and more, the NSLS encourages community action, volunteerism, personal growth, and strong leadership from its members at over 700 campuses.