Yonette Thomas
/
October 3, 2021
You must develop a personal constitution of how you will show up in the world. Otherwise, you will be at the mercy of a creed that does not reflect your authentic self.
Episode Abstract
You must develop a personal constitution of how you will show up in the world. Otherwise, you will be at the mercy of a creed that does not reflect your authentic self. A question to ask oneself in the mirror – who am I? and why am I here? These two questions I have found to among the most important. Plain and simple, if you don’t show up, you will not move up – at least, not as the evolved version of yourself. If I did not show up to practice, it would have impossible for me to be prepared to compete in the games. If I did not show up to class, it would have been impossible for me to graduate. If I do not show up to work, my colleagues will think less of me, the organization and division.
These lessons have not only helped me to progress in my career and life; it has also calibrated what I perceive to be dire needs in higher education. Let’s face it, higher education as usual will not engage the 21st century student. With projections that half of American colleges and universities maybe closed in the next decade, transforming higher education is non-negotiable. As individuals from elite institutions boast of their successes, how we fare as a nation on the world’s stage is the timely question to ask. According to a global study on scholastic performance, the U.S. ranks 24th in reading, 39th in mathematics and 25th in science. These data points are hardly anything to brag about. With less than twenty million students pursuing a higher education degree out of a population size of 325.7 million, the world’s superpower has 68% of its populace without a bachelor’s degree. Of course, there is much to consider with these latter figures since everyone does not pursue a college degree for numerous reasons. Notwithstanding all of this, opportunities abound. Basketball was the not the only reason why I went to college, it was there that I discovered myself and decided then on the type of man that I would be today. This reflect the type of talent that we cannot afford to underestimate. Most importantly, this is talent we cannot afford to lose.
Meet DR. JOHN GRAHAM
John is the Campus Leader at Potsdam University, SUNY Potsdam.Dr. Graham serves as the Officer-in-Charge at the State University of New York at Potsdam. As the campus leader he provides executive leadership at one of the oldest public higher institutions in the United States. SUNY Potsdam is a comprehensive college comprised of 3,300 undergraduates and post-graduate students that study in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Education and Professional Studies and the world-renowned Crane School of Music. Dr. Graham has held several leadership positions during his career most recently serving as Senior Advisor to the Chancellor and Student Advocate at SUNY and prior to that, Vice Provost for Student Affairs and University Life. He also held faculty appointments and taught in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
