COLLEGE
8/22/25“Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!”
That iconic (and hilariously inaccurate) line from Animal House still cracks me up.
And that sweatshirt—just one word: COLLEGE—somehow became both a punchline and a symbol of what “success” is supposed to look like.
But here’s the thing:
College can be a great path to success—but it’s a myth that it’s the only one.
I’ve known successful, fulfilled, high-performing leaders from all kinds of backgrounds:
• Some never went to college
• Some barely got through it, or started and didn’t finish
• Some thrived and jumped right in to successful careers
I have a college degree—but the first half of my college experience looked more like Belushi’s Animal House than any model for success.
Everything changed when I found the Building Science Program at Auburn.
That’s when I discovered what I wanted to do—and I locked in and started doing the work.
But it wasn’t the classroom alone that set me up for success.
It was the co-op program—three years alternating semesters between jobsites and the classroom.
That rhythm—work, learn, apply, repeat—was perfect for me.
And the best part? I had mentors who taught me how to think, not just what to do.
That approach still shapes how I lead today.
The path matters less than the posture. What really moves the needle is a hunger to learn and a willingness to do something with it.
A proverb I read recently says:
“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.”
Wisdom doesn’t always come from a classroom.
Most of the time it comes from our mistakes, reading, watching others, getting tough feedback, asking better questions, and applying what we learn.
And wisdom grows as we pass it on.
So here’s what I’d say—
• To the young person choosing between college, trade school, or work:
Don’t chase someone else’s version of success.
Find places where you can learn, stretch, and be mentored doing something that lights you up.
• To the leaders and managers:
Look for the hungry ones—and invest in them.
Share wisdom. Give honest feedback. Let people stumble and grow.
• To those without a degree who show up and deliver:
Don’t let a missing degree define your worth.
Your work, your impact, and the people you’ve helped say more about you than a diploma ever could.
We all get different starting lines. But we can choose our path from there.
Degrees fade. Titles change. Even that old college sweatshirt falls apart.
But wisdom? That’s what lasts. And how you share it—that’s what defines you.