So trustee Steve Pierce, one of the top dogs at UNA (as well as a business owner,) talked to us about what it takes to be successful in life.
First, he wanted to commend us on the Honors program and stress just how important it is to the university as a whole. He gave us the "crème de la crème" talk and launched into to further that success.
He said that to be successful, we had to know how to plan and how to be leaders. You learn a lot about people (but more about yourself) when you are in a leadership position. Mr. Pierce said that in his experience in politics he had done just that, plus a little something about decision making. In order to call the shots, you have to first research all of your options. Then, you need to be ready to listen to others, know how to take advice. If someone doesn't agree with you (chances are there will be those), don't take in personally. It is imperative that you get people in the community involved, as they should be the ones wanting to make it better.
Most importantly, have a vision.
Before all that, we definitely have to enjoy college life, but we also have to make it count for something. Get involved in extracurricular activities and volunteer. This will help you achieve a good reputation that you need in school and the business world. (School is waaayyy better than the business world, by the way.) Also, make sure to study abroad, as this opens myriad of doors for you. But seriously, take advantage of your allotment in college. That cliché about time flying? It's true.
So back to the part about having a vision. "What a shame it is to have sight but no vision," said Helen Keller. Visions are long-term goals that you hope to achieve in your future. Sometimes you have to make unpopular decisions on this path, but they will turn out well later. On this note, Mr. Pierce advised not to be afraid of going against the grain.
In conclusion, Mr. Pierce advises to make a plan, be a leader, use your college time wisely and have a vision.
No comments:
Post a Comment