Whether you believe in fate or hard work, it’s vital to take advantage of all opportunities presented in your lifetime.
Vince Lombardi once said, “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.”
Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University to go on to found one of the world’s largest software companies. J.K. Rowling began one of the best selling book series in history on a train. Oprah Winfrey was born in backwoods Mississippi, faced hardships and worked her way to the top with the highest-rated talk show in TV history.
One thing all of these people have in common is passion, as well as a knack for leadership, but so do millions of other people. What separated these people from everyone else was their ability to follow their gut and work hard.
An opportunity came up and they seized the chance — following the feeling that told them they could succeed.
Is it coincidence? Perhaps. People often make patterns and connections out of nothing. But maybe there’s something here.
Gary Roberts will assume presidency at Bradley Jan. 1, and the last time the Hilltop had a former student as president was with Martin “Jerry” Abegg, when Roberts was completing his undergraduate studies.
As we welcome Roberts back on campus, we should think about the leadership and other skills we are building within ourselves.
Students have the prime opportunity in college to find out who they are. It is here that we learn how to follow our passions and take advantage of those key moments that lead to success.
Find those things in life that you are truly passionate about and hold onto them. Don’t let those little moments go by without reaching for them with both hands.
You could just become the next university president some day.
