A group of alumni are giving back to their alma mater through a new speakers program sponsored by the Ricciardi College of Business.
BSU has graduates who have succeeded in various industries, and their experience is can be valuable to today’s students, said Dr. Elmore Alexander, dean of the college.
“We’ve been graduating business majors for more than three decades and many of these alumni are now in prominent positions in their respective industries,” he said. “The business alumni network has reached a critical mass where it can really begin to pay dividends for students and graduates alike.”
Facilitating the program is David Rumrill, ’91, a member of the BSU Foundation Board and a private wealth advisor with Morgan Stanley. He said today’s students can have their aspirations fueled by seeing and hearing from successful alumni.
“These students need to know that the work ethic that is getting them through BSU is what will make them stand out in the business world,” said Mr. Rumrill about his motivation for the program. “Who better to tell them than alumni that sat in those same seats and have since made it in business?”
The idea of a solid work ethic was a key point in the first talk in the series, which featured Mike Cox, `91, an independent insurance agent and owner of Eagle Insurance Group. Of his line of work, he explained to the students in a class taught by Professor Eric Disbrow, `96, called Insurance and Risk Management: “It’s about protecting people and being there when they need you the most.”
Public perception of the insurance industry is often limited to personal premium payments, stories of claims complications and commercials citing “discount double-checks,” but Mr. Cox underscored, that for him, it’s about helping his clients in difficult times. He admitted that the work can be tedious, especially at the entry level, but hastened to add, “The harder you work, the higher you move up in the industry, and the more good you can do for people when problems occur.”
He urged students to make their work ethic the cornerstone to their professional identity, regardless of the career they choose. “Never be outworked by anyone else in the office and your supervisor will take notice,” was his advice. “Be the first one in and the last one out.” Mr. Cox has hired his staff from all sorts of school and has found that the four that came from BSU are consistently among his most productive employees.
Mr. Rumrill and Dean Leonard hope that having professionals like Mr. Cox back on campus will encourage other alumni to get involved in the program or with the university.