USU alumnus kicks off HASS speaker series
The college of Humanities and Social Sciences held its monthly Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series Friday, featuring Robert C. Gross, who graduated in 1972.
Gross graduated with a degree in political science with minors in history, English and business administration.
“My own quest for lifelong learning really began on this campus and continued on through my life,” Gross said.
Gross made sure the audience understood he is not a motivational speaker.
“Motivation comes from within. It is insular and a matter of our own free will,” he said. “It can be developed, redeveloped and built upon over time.”
After graduating from USU, Gross went on to succeed in many career fields. He has been CEO of three companies in both the private and public sectors. He has worked as a commercial attorney and as an educator. He is the founder of Robert C. Gross Associates, a public policy and commercial conflict resolution company.
Gross is also the former president and executive board chair of First Interstate Bank of Utah. He was the founding executive director of Utah’s Department of Workforce Services. Later, at the request of the White House, he served in Baghdad as senior adviser to the Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
“It’s OK if you change your career five or six times,” he said. “In fact, you can expect it. That is the age we’re in.”
Gross asked the audience why lifelong learning is important.
Ted Pease, department head of journalism and communication, said “If it’s not important, we’re just spending this time getting dumber.”
“Lifelong learning is what gives us the ability to grow cognitively and emotionally,” Gross said. “The thinking that we can’t keep growing and learning because we get older is wrong.”
“Put yourself in an environment to learn,” he said. “The brain is always growing and evolving. It grows based on what you feed it. If you don’t use it, you will lose it.”
To grow emotionally, Gross said it takes motivation, practice and repetition.
Gross said he has learned a lot of things the hard way, the first of which is that words matter.
“Tell people ‘thank you’, say ‘I’m sorry,’ and ask them what they think,” he said.
Gross said to remember that it’s always about other people and not about you.
Gross then talked about three things he wanted the audience to take away from his talk.
“First,” he said, “whatever you do, do it with passion. Do it with passion that is tied to principles.”
Next, Gross said it is important to have the ability to write.
“You need to be able to out-read them and out-write them,” he said. “More than anything else though, writing stimulates the neurons in your brain and makes them grow.”
Last, Gross said to remember the importance of humor and laughter.
“Laughing makes the brain more effective and efficient,” he said.
Gross said he hoped his speech was a “blinding flash of the obvious.” He said he was there to remind them of the importance of learning and being happy.
“Don’t ever be the one standing at the company water cooler complaining about how hard life is,” he said. “Just enjoy it.”
Gross closed by reminding everyone to go out and use their brains.
“May the force be with you,” he said, “and may you use it wisely.”
– megan.allen@aggiemail.usu.edu