Speaking at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah for Sutherland Institute’s Congressional Series, Rep. Burgess Owens sought to motivate the upcoming generation.

“You guys are what makes this country tick,” he said to the students present at the event.

The representative acknowledged the concerns surrounding a potential economic recession but gave students and others in attendance an uplifting outlook.

“The best thing to ever happen to me was my business failure. Don’t take tough times personally,” he said.

Owens encouraged the upperclassmen at the event to show “grit” as they get started in their careers.

“If you’re a person that works hard, stays late and comes in early,” he explained, “you’ll have a remarkable future in today’s world.”

He went on to thank parents for their involvement in education policy and school district meetings, while pointing out that Congress and the federal government has gotten too involved in education.

“We The People should have the ultimate power. I’ve never seen such engagement from parents that I’m seeing right now,” the congressman said.

Owens also noted the work that he is doing in Congress to set students up for success by developing programs to assist with student loan repayment.

“In Congress, I’ve initiated the ‘Federal Assistance to Initiate Repayment,’ FAIR Act, which takes a critical step toward addressing the failures of the student loan program.”

By lifting the financial burdens of student debt, he hopes it encourages young people to take risks and live out America’s entrepreneurial spirit.

“Don’t be afraid to talk about those down times. As long as you come out of it, as long as you learn something from it, you can be such an inspiration to those that are going through the same thing.”

To watch the full videos from the Sutherland Congressional series, visit the event page.