The College of Business and Social Sciences (CBSS) marked the beginning of October with its annual symposium. An action-packed week of brain bowls and career-oriented sessions, the CBSS Symposium encouraged students to embrace this year’s theme: “EveryONE Has a Story.”

No one embodied the CBSS Symposium’s theme more than pilot-turned-public speaker Ryan Campbell. On Oct. 2, students filled Bayou Pointe Event Center for his keynote speech, “What’s your Pink Cadillac?”

Driven by his passion for aviation, Ryan Campbell took to the skies for the first time at 14 years old. Campbell made history by becoming the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a single-engine airplane. He flew for 70 days, over 24,000 nautical miles, visiting 15 countries. Campbell excelled in the pilot’s seat and the college classroom until tragedy struck.
When Campbell was 20 years old, he survived a horrific plane crash. A medical helicopter quickly flew Campbell to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed him as paraplegic.
Bedbound and immobile, Campbell spent weeks in his hospital bed. Nurses came in almost daily and began to lift Campbell into a standing position until he could withstand his body weight for an extended period.
“As soon as I hit the wheelchair, I started operating to a daily timetable, just like at school or college. And that timetable would eventually be 12 to 14 sessions on physical health and one on mental health,” Campbell said. “It is an unacceptable imbalance that is still in place. All that I can tell you right now is that I was in a really, really dark place. There was no light at the end of my tunnel.”
Campbell described his anger and depression during this dark period. He only wanted to fly, not sit in a hospital bed. However, Campbell’s anger transformed into gratitude when he started attending physical therapy.
Campbell listened to the stories of other patients, such as Ben, who suffered life-altering injuries. While he recovered from his diagnosis, some patients could not.
“We never said a word to each other, but I felt like my life was over. I was angry that I couldn’t fly, let alone walk. I couldn’t even go to the bathroom like I used to,” Campbell said. “But when I looked up at Ben, I realized something really important that day. I realized what he would have given for one chance at learning to roll over. And I felt like the worst person on the face of the planet.”
After recovering from his injury, Campbell decided to buy a 1960’s light pink Cadillac. Affectionately called Flo, the car helped Campbell regain his love for life.
“When I bought that car, I was struggling with my mental health. I was burnt out, I was worn out, I was exhausted, I was in a really average place,” Campbell said. “It [Flo]would actually go on to be this ridiculous car that kind of gave me what I needed, that pulled me out of that really deep dark hole in my life.”
“What’s Your Pink Cadillac” is about understanding that some things we believe to be low priority have the power to change everything. Personal hobbies, interests and simple pleasures all matter because they bring joy to people struggling with their mental health.
Campbell asked the audience to volunteer and answer, “What’s Your Pink Cadillac?” Many attendees stood up with pride to share what brings them happiness and why: drinking coffee on the back porch, reading in bed and even watching NASCAR with family.

So, “What’s Your Pink Cadillac?”