Dean Douglas D. Anderson from the John M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University addressed BYU-Hawaii at a weekly devotional on January 25 with five lessons for undergraduates.
“We have heard some wonderful advice over the years. I thought perhaps the best way I could serve you today would be to ask that question of myself: What would I like to have known as an undergraduate that I now know today?” said Anderson as he introduced his talk.
The first lesson is to stay positive.
“None of us gets through this life without being tested…Bad things do happen to good people. Yet because of the power of God, and the assurance that we have of his constant companionship, we know that sorrow will turn to joy, heartbreak to healing, tribulation to triumph, as long as we remember our promises to him,” said Anderson.
The second lesson is that you must own your own education.
He told a personal story about how he was born in Logan, Utah but his family moved to California and he went to college there. After graduating high school he went to Stanford University for his freshman year of college and then served a mission. When he came back from his mission he decided to transfer to Utah State to be with his family and save money. He ended up loving it and stayed there to graduate. Many people asked him, “why on earth did you transfer from Stanford to Utah State” and his answer was “I transferred to get a better education. Why else would you transfer from Stanford to Utah State?”
“I realized that not only was that a good way to redirect a conversation, it actually had to be the real answer to the question…In other words, it would not be true unless I took over ownership of my own education. Education is not something that is done to us, or that we buy off the shelf. It is something we co-create. When you own your own education, you are participating in the process of creating knowledge,” said Anderson.
The third lesson is to stay open to learning and possibilities.
He shared another story to illustrate this point. He shared how he had graduated from Utah State in economics and political science and had completed a master’s in economics but still wanted to learn more. He went to Harvard for his Ph.D. but didn’t know what he would do with it because he didn’t have any desire to teach or do academic research. Two years into his graduate study he was working as a janitor to support his small family. He had a conversation with a classmate who told him that he was supporting his family by having a job as a teaching fellow in the economics department. Anderson was interested because it paid more than the janitor position. He was able to get the job.
“In addition to improving our family's standard of living, that job opened the door to my career. I discovered the joy of teaching, and that teaching was the best way for me to learn. In fact, I found out that I could learn more about economics by teaching Harvard College undergraduates than I did from sitting in the lectures of my Nobel Prize-winning professors of economic theory. I became passionate about teaching because it enabled me to learn, and I was passionate about learning,” said Anderson.
The fourth lesson is to discover the spiritual connection in your work.
“I believe the world is in the process of discovering how powerful it is when we can find the spiritual connection in our daily work and professional activities. Many of the finest leaders I know are seeking meaning in what they do, beyond the paycheck. It unlocks all kinds of energy and creativity,” he said.
The fifth lesson is to choose to live a life of greatness.
Brother Anderson quotes his college, Stephen R. Covey when he said, “‘Deep within each of us there is an inner longing to live a life of greatness and contribution—to really matter, to really make a difference.’”
“Choose to live a life of greatness. Discover the spiritual connection in your work. Stay open to learning and to possibility. Own your own education. And, stay positive! May the Lord bless you as you search diligently, pray always, trust in his power and promises, and remember who you are and whom you represent,” said Brother Anderson in conclusion.
Photo by Monique Saenz.