Wednesday, March 26, 1997
Speaker urges students to seize opportunities
By Brian Bethel
Staff Writer
Students can seize many great opportunities from their time
in college, motivational speaker Jim Pfafflin said Tuesday.
And there are plenty of challenges along the way, too, he said.
Put together, those seemingly opposite aspects offer chances
to learn and grow that in ways that will reverberate throughout
students' lives, he said.
But even with those lessons learned, students should "never
be satisfied" with only the education they receive in college,
Pfafflin said.
"Supposedly, less than 5 percent of you will ever pick
up a book again once you get out of here," he said. "But
you should always try to continue learning."
The founder and president of a leadership development program
based in Washington, D.C., Pfafflin spoke to Hardin-Simmons students
at the school's annual Stanley Lecture series.
An alumnus of the university - he earned his bachelor's degree
in education there - he said Hardin-Simmons was "like a wilderness"
to him when he was there.
"This was a place of preparation," Pfafflin said.
"There were many things I needed to learn before I went out
into the world."
Many challenges face college students, who sometimes don't
understand some aspects of their "education," especially
when it comes to professors and learning.
Scholars must balance academics, social lives and sometimes
conflicting beliefs, even in environments where personal convictions
are usually considered more or less homogenous.
But many opportunities exist for students despite those worries.
College students are given opportunities to explore course
options, learning about teamwork and the power of individuals.
"Leadership opportunities, for example, are some of the
best and most important aspects of this time," he said. "They
were for me. ... But it is very important you be asking, "Lord,
what will you have me do?' all through this your life."
Learning to interact with and lead disparate people, helping
strive toward a common goal, and volunteering time and effort
are other important opportunities students have while in college.
Students also have good opportunities for establishing lasting
relationships with mentors, which can help them through especially
stressful times and offer insight and balance when necessary.
Such contact and friendship can be invaluable.
"There is no motion without emotion," Pfafflin said,
giving examples of how seeds that can be appreciated later in
life were planted in his soul by associations with school mentors.
"You must be able to use your head and your heart,"
he said. "It's part of the living experience'.'
Pfafflin will give the second and last lecture of the series
Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in Behrens Chapel.
Send a Letter to the Editor about This
Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address) of This Story
to A Friend:
Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
|
