THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's basketball student-athlete Josh DeVore has been selected to attend the 2026 Network of ELCA Colleges & Universities (NECU) Student Leadership Summit, taking place September 18-20 in Chicago, Illinois.

DeVore was nominated by Cal Lutheran Pastor Elizabeth Gallen, earning an invitation to join student leaders from ELCA colleges and universities across the country for the three-day summit. He will be the sole Cal Lutheran student in attendance, representing not only the Kingsmen basketball program, but the university as a whole.

"I am very honored that I was able to be nominated to attend the NECU Student Leadership Summit," said DeVore. "I was nominated by Pastor Beth for the student leadership and the involvement that I have in my community here at Cal Lutheran, and I am very excited for the opportunity to represent the school and this community as a whole."

The 2026 summit, themed "Context Creators: Student Leadership for Purpose, Belonging, and the Common Good," will challenge students to look beyond traditional measures of leadership and consider how they can intentionally create communities where others can belong, discover purpose and thrive.

Throughout the weekend, DeVore will participate in discussions and small-group sessions focused on advocacy, community engagement, vocational identity, religious and interfaith spaces, international student support and the role of liberal arts education. The summit will also bring students together to identify shared challenges and opportunities within higher education and develop ideas for continued collaboration across institutions.

Rooted in the Lutheran understanding of vocation, the summit emphasizes whole-person formation, love of neighbor and social responsibility while encouraging students to consider how their gifts can contribute to the common good.

"I enthusiastically nominated Josh for the NECU Student Leadership Summit because of his eager and earnest faith and emerging leadership," said Gallen. "In my observation of him, he is a natural leader who brings energy, curiosity and a willingness to say 'yes' to opportunities to serve, whether as a student-athlete or volunteering to offer his leadership in student clubs and organizations."

"He embodies the mission of California Lutheran University precisely because he is invested in his learning process and developing his leadership skills in service of others," Gallen continued. "He recognizes that he is a lifelong learner and a conference like this one would offer him the opportunity to clearly name, hone and shape his gifts within the wider context of a beautifully diverse world."

For DeVore, the opportunity provides a chance to bring his experience as a Cal Lutheran student-athlete into a broader conversation about leadership and community while learning alongside students from institutions throughout the NECU network.

"As a member of the men's basketball team here at CLU, I am very excited to attend this event to show that there is truly so much more to being a Division III athlete than just being excellent at your sport," said DeVore. "Thank you to the whole community of Cal Lutheran, and I cannot wait to represent our school. Go Kingsmen and Regals!"

DeVore's selection also reflects the impact of student-athletes beyond competition, according to head men's basketball coach Russell White.

"Josh has embraced the CLU community since the first day he stepped on campus," said White. "It is great to see him get an opportunity to share his personal and CLU experience with others. He will do a great job representing us in Chicago and beyond."

The 2026 NECU Student Leadership Summit will conclude September 20 following a series of interinstitutional collaboration projects and a final reflection and debrief. DeVore will return to Cal Lutheran with the opportunity to share what he learned and continue building connections with student leaders across the NECU network.