The nation’s largest franchise owner of H&R Block offices who recently donated $2.1 million to the University of Dayton.
“You have to be able to take risks and not worry about failing. I wish somebody had told me when I got out of school: ‘Don’t be afraid to fail.’ You have to fail to succeed; you learn in failure and if you fail you move on. I’ve had a lot of failures — I opened up a pizza restaurant that went belly-up, I opened up a temporary service (agency) and that went belly-up.
“No successful business person will tell you they succeeded in everything they’ve tried. Successful people turn negatives into positives. When something negative happens, I learn what NOT to do. Something better will come along.
“Most people have lots of opportunities, but you have to recognize them. You have to look.”
Michael Fishbein
President, Antioch University Midwest
“I wish I’d known two truths on the day I graduated high school. First, that my choices were infinitely greater than I perceived at the time. Though I love what I did and what I do, I learned too late that there were options I never even considered. If you think you know what you want to do in life, take a little time to satisfy yourself that you truly have explored all the corners of your heart.
“Second, I wish I’d had a sense of the opportunity cost in every step. Robert Frost’s famous observation that taking the road less traveled made all the difference applies here: consider every choice as one you’ll not be able to make again. It will make you more conscious of the need to think and feel deeply about what seem to be the most casual of alternatives. Godspeed.”
Helen Jones-Kelly
Special Assistant to the Executive Director, ADAMHS Board (Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services)
“That piece of paper (your high school diploma) is incredible, what a wonderful accomplishment! However, it has to be matched with strong relationships and strong connections in order to succeed. Life is more about relationships and building those strong ties with other people who can take you by the hand sometimes, who can pat you on the back, who can give you truth. Those are the things that are really important. It’s about the people piece of success, more than just the diploma.”
Lindsay Ackley
Associate executive director, Clothes That Work
“One of the best pieces of advice I received was to get involved in a service club in the community or a student organization in college. While I was a business major at Wright State University, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector. So, I took my friend’s suggestion and started searching for student organizations with a focus on non-profits. I was fortunate to join the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance student organization which helped connect me to students with similar career goals and increased my knowledge of nonprofit management.
“Being part of NLA also gave me the opportunity to give back to the community, practice leadership skills, secure meaningful internships and network with a variety of people. The life-long friendships and professional relationships I developed as an NLA student have enhanced my personal life and been integral to my early career success.”
Janice Driesbach
Director and CEO, Dayton Art Institute
“There is so much I wish I had known — and I feel fortunate that I continue to learn every day. I wish I had had some sense of how quickly time passes when I was graduating from high school and had explored a wider variety of experiences earlier in my life.
“Think always about how you can give back — to your family, your neighbors, others whose needs you can help meet. Be mindful early on of the rewards such gifts can return to you and how you can make a difference in your community.
“Look at what you can learn from every situation, make a commitment to do your best, and take full advantage of every opportunity. Embrace change and see challenges as opportunities.
“I wish I had made the opportunity to immerse myself in different cultures sooner and more thoroughly. Today, with Americorps and new domestic service programs in place — in addition to student exchanges and the Peace Corps — there are all the more avenues for doing so. My first real experience of that nature was working on a ground-breaking exhibition with Native American artists from throughout California, when I was well into my 30s. I’m not certain I fully appreciated the importance of making experiences, as opposed to other achievements, when I was younger.”
The Rev. Dr. Barbara L. Battin
Interfaith Campus Minister, Sinclair Community College
“I would have been glad to hear about the wisdom of limitations earlier in my life. Often, we consider limitations to be a negative aspect of a situation or decision. Instead, they can be of significant assistance in learning about who we are, in discovering our true self. Limitations mean we cannot do everything. Time is limited. Energy is limited. Resources are limited. Sometimes access is limited. Sometimes ability is limited. And so, we must choose.
“What we choose shapes us. We choose one path over another, one opportunity over another, one relationship over another. As we sort the myriad reasons for making those choices, we may discover what we really want, who we really are. As we make choices over and over again, we have the possibility of growing more and more into a person of integrity (wholeness) with a special identity that is unrepeatable in the universe. When we are able to claim our authentic self, our true identity, we can focus the time of our lives, our energy, our resources in ways that contribute to the larger civic and world community.
“Perhaps the most difficult learning in my life has been to do what I can, not what I can’t. Learning to honor, even embrace, limits has helped me to focus on what I have to share and to offer that when I can. It has liberated me from having to ‘do it all.’ It has helped me understand what is ‘mine’ to do and what may be someone else’s responsibility. I have learned to trust that what I can’t do, someone else can. That is the design of living in community together. We all have gifts to share. We are all necessary to the health of the human community. All of us are needed to make the world a place of dynamic, just and joyful peace and possibility for all people.”
Sharon Howard
Director, Marketing and Communications, Dayton Development Coalition
“Communications (my college major) is not just about talking, but also listening: you need to listen to mentors, parents, people who truly have your best interest in mind.
“‘Paying dues’ is REAL! At the beginning, you don’t have time to be too big for your own britches; you must exercise humility and suck up all of the knowledge, experience of others, and support as possible.
“This thing called life is truly a journey, one that evolves over time. When you’re really young, oftentimes you believe there are always ‘do-over’s’ and that is not always the case. Even at a young age, you must be thoughtful and patient. Also, you don’t have to be perfect to be useful; you will fall along the way; but remember, falling down is a part of life, getting back up is LIVING!”
Erica Arnett
Project Support for Riverside Research Institute, Brookville
“I’m going to give the class of 2011 some advice I wish I would have listened to way before I actually knew it was true. Listen to your mother. Whatever she has told you is true.”
Daniel J. Curran
University of Dayton president
“Change is constant in life, so be adaptable. It’s important to read the signs of the times you’re living through and embrace change. Also remember that your education is more than just earning a college degree. With knowledge comes the obligation to give back to society.”
Col. Amanda W. Gladney
88th Air Base Wing and Installation Commander for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
“Congratulations on achieving the first of many achievements. Wherever the road leads you from this point on, your life will be full of challenges and successes, and the ride will be one you will never forget. As you go forward, always remember where you’ve been and learn from your past — it’s made you who you are.
“Work toward accomplishing something each and every day, whether it’s one step toward a larger goal, or a simple action that makes your world better.
“Do everything with excellence and pride; don’t accept second-best, even from yourself.
“Finally, dream big. No one knows what you’re capable of more than yourself, so don’t be afraid to shoot for the stars and dream the impossible. You are the ones that will make the future, and I’m looking forward to the tomorrow that today’s seniors will create!”
Jessica Hung
Concertmaster, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
“Good financial habits start young. Start building credit now. Open a credit card account and make a small purchase each month, then always pay off the bill in full and on time. Open checking and savings accounts at the same bank, and for any deposit you make, put a small percentage into the savings account. The amount isn’t important now; it’s the act of learning to save that counts!
“When you find your passion in life, work hard at it, but also spend just as much time studying experts in your field. Analyze their work, talk to them, find mentors, and learn as much as you can from people already doing and living your dream.”
Nancy Horlacher
Local history specialist, Dayton Metro Library
“I wish I had known how very important advanced education can be to one’s future. It opens so many doors and takes you down so many avenues that you never dreamed you would travel. Education coupled with many varied experiences builds the foundation for what lies ahead for you.
“I’ve learned that volunteering for jobs that may not be in your comfort zone introduces you to people and experiences that you may value for a lifetime.”
Brent Johnson
Co-owner, Square One and Day Spas
“Always remember the six degrees of separation. It has always surprised me the number of important people in the world that I am less than six people from knowing personally. A friend of mine that has a friend that works for Madonna or a patient of mine whose mother was a maid for Hitler when I worked at the hospital. Bringing it closer to home, I remember all the people I met when I worked at the nursing home who had personally lived through the great flood of 1913. The world is full of living, breathing treasures that we all take for granted each and every day. If we take the time to connect with the people around us we open up a world of possibilities and opportunities.
“I to this day come in contact with people that I haven’t seen in 20 years and barely know that say “I remember when you worked at J Duffy’s at the Dayton Mall (back in 1987!). Those people are now my clients and some are my friends. You can be as connected to the world around you both near and far if you open yourself to it. Remembering that you are only six people away from your dream job or relationship. How can you make it happen? It’s up to you. Every day you have the opportunity to find treasure.”
Allen Elijah
President and CEO, United Way of Greater Dayton
“I wish I had known the importance of ‘Saving.’ Saving is very critical due to the value of ‘Compounding Interest.’ Saving just 15 to 20 percent of every dollar earned off the top from the very first job and placing it in an interest bearing account doubles over time (The Rule of 72). Under this rule you then begin to receive interest payments on top of interest and you can truly become a millionaire at an early age. Man, if I had only known.”
Ron Lamb,
President, The Reynolds and Reynolds Company
“One of the concepts that I would have liked to have learned right after graduation is the idea of ‘backward planning.’ That may sound like an odd phrase, but here’s the wisdom behind it: When you get a new assignment in college or a new project in your job, the first thought for most of us is to look out from the present, pick a date to begin the work, assume everything will happen like clockwork to complete the work, and then we go about taking care of other assignments and daily obligations. The problem with that approach is that we are notoriously optimistic about the timing of events, how long the work will actually take, and the availability of others who may be needed for the project. And so, too often, we’re left to scramble at the last minute.
“In ‘backward planning,’ you begin by putting yourself at the point of the finished assignment or project, and then work backward to the present date, marking all the key milestones and dependencies along the way. What you usually discover is that, even though you thought you had plenty of time to handle the project, you’re probably already behind. And that forces you to adjust your time immediately and to reach out quickly to the people and resources you’ll need to compete the work.
“I’ve found that ‘backward planning’ can provide a more realistic point of reference for how long a project will take to complete; it provides useful milestones along the way to check progress; and, it provides a way to get right back on track when unforeseen – but inevitable – events bump projects off track.
About the Author
