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"We were most impressed with the way Casey connected with our IFC community and the potential new members. Both of Casey's programs had a great message. His way of engaging with the audience and really focusing on what it means to be a strong leader, but also for our potential new members, what to expect from fraternity. Casey was very thoughtful in his student interactions, as well as was diligent in engaging with our staff to get a good glimpse of the community."
Camryn Wade
Penn State University

Casey J. Cornelius' Programs

The Extraordinary Art of Caring (When No One Else Seems to Give a F*ck)

The Extraordinary Art of Caring tackles the growing issue of apathy and disengagement by reigniting students’ passion for leadership, service, and community. With a blend of mindset shifts and actionable strategies, Casey J. Cornelius helps audiences rediscover the power of genuine care as the foundation for stronger organizations and more connected campuses. This energizing program is perfect for groups facing burnout or struggling with member involvement.

Does it seem like folks don’t really care anymore? Common decency is lacking, attendance is low, and even leadership positions are going unfilled. There must be a way of re-energizing our members and ourselves to have more passion and empathy.

There is. 

And it starts with CARE.

Casey J. Cornelius has been a leading voice with topics moving the needle on college campuses and in large organizations for years. He now turns his attention to one of the most-pressing concerns of our day: enthusiasm fatigue. Casey wants to help individuals and groups recapture the love of membership, friendship, and service by blending a message of mindset and strategy. The art of caring, he says, is extraordinary and help cure many of the challenges facing campuses and communities. 

In our complicated, challenging world, what we need is care. And we need it now!

Note: This program has an alternate title which reads The Extraordinary Act of Caring (When No One Else Seems To)

Audience members will…

  • Explore the core concepts of CARE (concern, awareness, respect, and empathy)

  • Consider the collective lived experiences leading to enthusiasm fatigue

  • Foster a renewed passion for the power of relationships 

  • Develop a powerful mantra to sustain CARE beyond today

Ideal Audiences

  • Leadership
  • Fraternity and Sorority Life
  • Building Community
  • First-Year Experience
  • Professional Development
  • Community Colleges​
Book This Program

Be The Man:
A Movement for Healthy Masculinity

Be The Man: A Movement for Healthy Masculinity is a powerful program that opens up honest conversations about what it means to be a man today. Casey J. Cornelius challenges outdated and harmful norms while guiding college men toward a healthier, more authentic version of masculinity rooted in empathy, accountability, and personal growth.

America is worried about young men. They point to issues of poor conduct, declining academic success, and a lack of positive male role models and use words like problematic, dangerous, and toxic to describe behavior.

For years, Casey J. Cornelius is recognized as the leading voice on the topic of healthy masculinity for college men. His signature program, Be The Man, works to engage audiences in a meaningful dialogue about these issues and proposes a path toward a healthier form of manhood which solves so many of society’s challenges.

The program (keynote, workshop, or retreat) addresses four main topics:

  • Current issues (where we are)
  • Socialization of masculinity (how we got here)
  • Performance of masculinity (how we act/interact)
  • The “Be The Man” Challenge (where we can go)

Campuses and organizations across the nation have worked with Casey to create environments and experiences to better engage men and allow them to live fuller, healthier, and happier lives.

Be The Man is the beginning of a discussion and Casey is ready to lead it.

***Ask about the companion workshop, The Second Question: Deepening Dialogue for Men’s Health and Well-Being, to equip and empower individuals to engage in help-giving behavior. This can be added onto the Be The Man keynote or scheduled independently in 1.5, 3, or 6 hour programming timeframes.

Audience members will…

  • Consider the current narrative about college men

  • Explore how we learn the “rules” of manhood in society and groups

  • Identify how masculinity is performed

  • Determine how relationships and choices influence our ability to “be the man”

Ideal Audiences

  • Men’s Development Groups
  • Fraternities
  • Athletics
  • First-Year Experience​
Book This Program

Denied and Distinguished: Every Day Choices for Extraordinary Outcomes in College and Life

Denied and Distinguished is an inspiring and practical program that helps students turn everyday choices into long-term success. Through personal story and proven strategy, Casey Cornelius empowers audiences to align their habits, mindset, and vision to achieve extraordinary outcomes—no matter where they start. Perfect for first-gen students, leadership development, or personal growth events, this session motivates students to take ownership of their journey and build momentum toward their goals.

For many, attending college is the goal. It is the end-result of years of preparation, sacrifice, and purposeful efforts. 

You are here! 

But where do you want to go? 
What’s the vision? 
What’s your process of getting there?

For Casey Cornelius, college-going was not an expectation. His guidance counselor prepared him “college isn’t for everyone” as he barely graduated from high school. Despite his best hopes, he was rejected by every college to which he applied.

Yes. Every single one.

Casey is now a leading national voice in personal development and has worked to make the process of getting from where you are (here) to where you want to be (there) simple. He breaks down the ways in which our long-term vision of success, habits, and daily practices can be aligned to ensure we reach our full potential. 

It all comes down to choices.

This isn’t just a theory; Casey has used this formula to achieve extraordinary results for more than 25 years! He is the first in his family to attend college, the first to graduate, and holds a Bachelor and two Masters degrees. He is a member of his Fraternity’s Hall of Fame, the creator of the Cornelius Scholarship for First-Generation Students, a Distinguished Alumnus from the University of Toledo, and winner of national and international awards and recognition for his educational content creation. 

Denied and Distinguished equips audiences and organizations to build momentum toward their desired vision through purposeful, daily steps. Insightful, passionate, and often-humorous, Casey weaves a message which inspires audiences to act!

Audience members will…

  • Create a personal narrative of short- and long-term success 

  • Explore the choice making process for achieving your goals

  • Develop a mindset and strategies pointed toward extraordinary in all facets of life

Ideal Audiences

  • New Student Orientation/Convocation
  • First Year Experience
  • First-Gen Programming
Book This Program

Carrying The Fire

Carrying the Fire is an inspiring program designed to help new members understand what comes next after they join an organization. Through honest storytelling and practical insight, Casey J. Cornelius challenges students to see membership as a responsibility and an opportunity to shape the future of their chapter, team, or group. This session equips new members with the mindset, purpose, and tools needed to make intentional choices and carry their organization forward with pride.

You are now part of a college student organization. Maybe it’s a fraternity, sorority, team, or club. And, with this new membership, you have feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, and maybe even apprehension. 

New members often feel uncertain in their abilities; whether it is to meet the expectations or standards of their membership opportunities, time commitments, or what joining might mean for their lives. We do a great job in recruiting but sometimes the “what comes next” conversation is overlooked.

Casey J. Cornelius has been talking about what comes next for new members for years. Through thought-provoking, honest, and inspiring storytelling, he helps equip our newest sisters, brothers, and teammates to answer this question:

What differentiates those extraordinary members of the past with those emerging today? 

Only their choices.

In this powerful message of purpose and mission, Casey shares the mindset and strategies central to short- and long-term success. Carrying the Fire is designed to help equip our newest members to be ready for the road ahead.

Audience members will…

  • Consider ways in which membership is meant to enhance the personal experience and how members must enhance the potential of organizations


  • Explore the most pressing issues facing members today


  • Develop strategies and mindset to lead to extraordinary results


  • Use the “Carrying the Fire” metaphor to connect to personal responsibility for group/organizational success

Ideal Audiences

  • Fraternity and Sorority Life
  • New Member Programming
  • Greek Week
  • Recruitment Training
  • Athletics
Book This Program

Extend the Impact

Casey J. Cornelius  can also serve as a consultant for your group on the topics of:

  • Healthy Masculinity
  • Student Engagement
  • First Year Retention and Success 

Let us know on the form below how we can best help achieve your goals.

Meet Casey J. Cornelius

Casey J. Cornelius has been a leading national voice on the topics of personal development and healthy masculinity for more than a decade. He has spoken to hundreds of thousands of students and travelled hundreds of thousands of miles to work with campuses, communities, and organizations who are aimed at the extraordinary. 

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Casey is a first-generation college graduate holding a Bachelor’s and two Master’s degrees despite once being advised “college isn’t for everyone.” 

Some fast facts about Casey:

-He is the Founder and President of ForCollegeForLife

-He is a proud fraternity man and an inductee of his chapter’s Hall of Fame.

-He is a philanthropist and creator of The Cornelius Scholarship for First-Generation Students. 

-He was named a Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Toledo in 2023.

-He has been recognized with national and international awards for educational content development and delivery.

-People call him “America’s Uncle” and he is just starting to embrace it! 

Casey resides with his family in Bay City, Michigan despite having a “complicated relationship” with cold, ice, and snow. 

In other words, you know he REALLY loves his family. 

His proudest titles are father, husband, son, brother, and uncle. 

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Casey J. Cornelius' Impact

"Casey has worked with our community for the last couple of years, and we could absolutely not be any happier with him. He puts his heart and soul into our students, makes them feel heard, and challenges them to be their best self. We have seen the results of his work in the level of commitment coming from our students, compared to the first year he worked with us. The leaders who learn from Casey are absorbing everything from him and taking it back to build future leaders for their chapters and our community. Casey's commitment to our students is remarkable - he asks them to stay in touch and he means it. He is sincere, thoughtful and so encouraging."
Caitlin RobertsUniversity of Oregon
"Everything about my experience with Casey was impressive--he was so prompt, courteous, and energizing. When it came to his presentations, Casey adapted to fit the needs of our organization. He worked to ensure he was up to date on the language our fraternity uses, which was an extra special touch. He delivered a program about positive masculinity in a way our members have never seen before and they still, a month later, talk about how impactful Casey was. He is an incredibly empathetic and energizing speaker and I cannot recommend him highly enough!"
Caitlyn WestfallZeta Psi International Fraternity
"Working with Casey was a great experience overall. He was in constant communication and did a great job with helping us visualize how the experience would go. The presentations themselves were superb and from the exceptional visual aid, to the passion and excitement Casey had while presented, the topics addressed were done so in an engaging way that I could not have been more happy with."
Andrew PicchiettiUniversity of Iowa IFC
"Casey was incredibly intentional in assessing the needs of our community through conversations leading up to the engagement. Even during the session, Casey and I would touch base and if I identified an area that the conversation could go in to be extra beneficial, Casey was able to seamlessly pivot to make that point. Casey was able to draw students out of their comfort zone and got them to engage in ways that they clearly did not come into the space prepared to do. Casey addressed our students with CARE, and I've already received emails from attendees asking to meet with me to discuss ways to get their chapter to care more!"
Jeremy PaulGrand Valley State University
"Casey was so attentive to our needs from the start and kept up the energy in the room as high as possible. It was a great end to our Karnea (convention) educational content!"
Alex KennedyDelta Tau Delta Fraternity
"Casey did a session with our all (Triangle) staff team on choices and how to make extraordinary choices during this time of what I’ll call craziness in this world. It was a great session that had me stopping to reflect on how my daily choices (or lack of choices) were having an impact on my longer term goals. Casey is always engaging and doing this with him was no different.”
Kate PlanowDirector of Development, Triangle Fraternity
"Casey connected so well with our students and met all of our needs. He spent plenty of time working with us in advance of our program to make sure we would achieve our goals. Casey's suggestions were exactly what we needed, and he knocked it out of the park!"
Caitlin RobertsUniversity of Oregon
"Casey was an amazing professional who was there to connect with us every step of the way. He did everything in his power to make sure our members were able to have an impactful experience."
Alex BrownDelta Chi Fraternity
"It can be challenging to keep students' attention for 2.5 hours but the morning flew by. The message of CARE seemed to really resonate with students and was applicable across councils and chapters. I appreciated how Casey sought to make connections with students and make them feel heard and valued."
Abby WelchFraternity & Sorority Life at Indiana State University
"I truly enjoy working with Casey. He genuinely cares about the students and is always willing to jump head first into anything."
McKenzie PendryUniversity of Iowa
"I appreciated the attention taken to listening to what was needed in our program and making that come to fruition - it was also done VERY quickly. During the program, I also appreciated the time Casey spent with the students and how he brought out the conversation in them. The feedback from the students thus far is they enjoyed the program very much and took some skills with them they plan to implement!"
Viancca WilliamsUniversity of Central Florida
“In a day and time where we have all learned to prioritize self-preservation, Casey J. Cornelius is challenging our men and community to care for others. By way of personal reflection, Casey models how we can show up in a way that will make others experience safety and true relationship. Casey provides practical steps and invites those listening to participate in his presentation in a way that is both engaging and downright funny.
I am grateful to have Casey be a model for my fraternity’s undergraduate leaders. I am sure the seed of CARE will grow into a safer and more meaningful life for all willing to lean into Casey’s message.”
Patrick Writght IIICoordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Emory University

Get to Know Our Speakers Personally on the ForCollegeForLife Podcast

Masculinity Episode
Get to Know Casey
All Episodes