Back to the Future! Reflections on my Return to Miami University

Eddie Money once wrote, “I wanna go back, and do it all over, but I can’t go back, I know.”?In fact, that song dates back to the time of my graduation from @Miami University (yes, the one in Ohio).?

Well, sometimes you actually can go back, and I have been given the rarest of opportunities to do so thanks to the Miami University Farmer School of Business and its Accountancy Department, which invited me to spend this past academic year as both an Executive-in-Residence and an Adjunct Faculty member.?It has been an amazing opportunity for my “50-something” self to revisit the path of my “20-something” self, and has allowed me to reflect on the decisions I’ve made along the way and on the person I’ve become.

As we arrive at graduation, I thought I would share just a few of my takeaways from my experience, offer a bit of advice to the students, and offer some insights to their future employers.

Takeaways from the experience

Takeaway #1 – The more things change, the more they stay the same.?There is no question that Miami University has grown and evolved significantly since the days of my college campus experience.?When I attended, the Farmer School of Business didn’t yet exist, nor did the Armstrong Student Center, or the sizable recreation facility.?But the taste of a Skippers gyro or a Mac and Joes Turkey Gobbler remains unchanged.?While my fraternity is no longer on campus, Greek life is alive and well and I was excited to see a focus on philanthropy by a number of fraternities who put on a hockey tournament to support the fight against cancer.?I was also thrilled to participate in Green Beer Day 2022, which brought back vivid memories from 35 years before.?And while there is no more Lottie Moons, I think we are doing just fine with the O’Pub for an evening uptown.?As much as the University has grown, it remains largely a red brick bubble in which its students learn and grow. Best of all, I was thrilled to see that my favorite college card game, euchre, is alive and well at Miami, and a special thanks goes out to those students who included me in their euchre games this year!

Takeaway #2 – You never forget the teachers who had real impact.?I had the opportunity to have lunch with one of my favorite instructors (now retired), who reached out to me upon my return. We reconnected for lunch after thirty-some years. I was proud to tell her how my commitment to non-profits and the board roles in which I now serve all started because of her class. I was also fortunate to meet and get to know the grandson of my other favorite professor, who is also retired and still living not far from campus. I can only hope I have a fraction of the impact on my students as these teachers had on my academic life and the career that followed.?Thank you Dr. Hock and Mrs. Baer, for the impact you had on me at Miami and ultimately my career and beyond.

Takeaway #3 – The energy, excitement and opportunity you have during your college years can’t be matched… and it's contagious! – What I realized during my many recent walks around campus is that I am not sure there is a more significant four years in your life than the time spent in college.?You are truly coming of age, maturing into an adult with more freedom and opportunity than all the years up to that point.?The college experience is truly like capturing lightning in a bottle, and part of it sparks back to life whenever you return to campus.?I now understand why our alumni do so much for the students.?To those to whom much is given, much is expected; I continue to owe my alma mater for giving me the education and catalyst to my life and career during those unforgettable four years.

To My Students

First and foremost,?to my ACC 490 G students, thank you for the privilege of spending this semester with you for my inaugural teaching experiment.?I couldn’t have asked for a more engaged group of students, and I appreciate those of you who entertained me along the way.?You took a chance on the rookie when you signed up for this class, and I hope you found it as worthwhile as I did.?I have also been fortunate to have been able to connect with and get to know several other business school underclass students, and I appreciate your interest in spending time with me. I hope my mentoring has been helpful.?To all of you, I would leave these four insights as you complete your Miami experience.

First – Avoid being transactional.?I say this, as I missed this lesson back in the day.?A successful life and career is all about the relationships you develop and nurture along the way.?Take advantage of the massive Miami University network at your disposal, leverage technology (such as LinkedIn) to build your connections and make real, not simply transactional connections. Building your personal brand starts now, and doing so with a substantive interest in getting to genuinely know, showing empathy for, and building the trust of others is critical.?Keeping in touch with me is a good first step!

Second – Be patient, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It has been fun watching many of you navigating the interview process to find that perfect first employer.?Not everything will happen as planned, and there will be bumps in the road—even some sharp unplanned turns—but if you know who you are, and what you are passionate about, it will all work out.?Miami has prepared you incredibly well for the “real world,” so try and relax and enjoy it a bit, I am confident you will be just fine.

Third – Get out of your comfort zone!?I was late to the party on this advice as well, but I will tell you that you learn more from challenging and truly difficult experiences than easy, straightforward ones.?If you have more time remaining at the University, expand your academic horizons! If you are graduating - Congratulations! Never stop learning and taking risks—you have so many years to explore and expand your interests and skills – challenge yourself to get beyond the status quo!

Fourth – Pay it forward. This experience you have been given has been incredible and it's now your opportunity to help future generations of students, whether through financial support to your alma mater or through the networking and interviewing you will do from your future careers.?Miami’s alumni network is incredible and it will soon include you and all that you have to offer.

To Their Employers

A brief comment to those out in the “real world” who will become the employers of these students:

Today’s college students have been exposed to many of the topics you are all struggling with.?These students embrace technology, understand risks such as cyber, and appreciate the importance of ESG. They are also perhaps the most agile group of students ever, having successfully navigated the pandemic while at the University.?They will be incredible assets to the workforce, but be a little extra patient with them, as half of their college experience was impacted by COVID.?

Conclusion

I hope all of you can feel my true appreciation for this opportunity, and the energy I got from the chance to literally and figuratively go back to college.?I have often referred to this as my much-delayed “gap year,” which is often the year recent graduates use to reflect on who they are and what they hope to become, and I have done just that.??

A special thanks goes to Dean Jenny Darroch, who supported this experiment.?

Thank you also to the members of the Accountancy Department, who embraced me as part of their team. Special thanks to Chair Drew Reffett, who trusted (without much evidence) that I would have the ability to teach and mentor and Eric Marinich who constantly helped me navigate my academic journey while entertaining me along the way.

While I am not exactly sure what’s next, I know my engagement with Miami has been refreshed and forever elevated.?Miami University will always be the place where I was taught how to learn and also where I learned how to teach. I have gone back and done it all over! How incredibly fortunate can anyone be?