David Coleman spoke to students, faculty, and staff at the OSU-Lima campus.
LIMA — In his work as an award-winning speaker, David Coleman finds himself addressing crowds at venues throughout the United States. On Monday, he brought his message to the faculty, staff, and students at the Ohio State University Lima campus.
In summarizing his presentation to faculty and staff, Coleman leaned on a timeless piece of advice that, while widely known, is still vitally important.
“Let me make it simple: You never get a second chance to make a great first impression,” he said. “So a lot of what I talked about today was that students don’t want to feel disregarded. They don’t want to be treated as if they’re invisible. So what it comes down to is mutual respect.”
Coleman had some advice for students trying to navigate their first year of college. He encouraged students, “Leave No Doubt! In Your Academics, Involvements and in Life!”
Often, Coleman said, that process can come down to the little things for students.
“It’s to actually commit to excellence,” he said. “If they’re in class, take your own notes. Don’t miss class. Go see your professors during their office hours. Get to know them. Engage them so that when it comes time to graduate, they know that the student is academically [ready].”
Coleman encouraged students to find mentors.
“I want them to find a faculty member who knows where they are,” he said. “I want them to find an advanced leader who can help them on their journey.
“You choose your attitude every single day,” he continued. “We choose our attitude every single day. I believe that we walk daily behind our message. If we wake up and said, ‘It’s gonna be one of the best days I ever had in my life,’ or treat that day as if we said, ‘Yesterday sucked, today’s going to be bad too,’” we’ll walk it out. So we choose our attitude every day. That’s what I’m trying to share.”
Coleman left no doubt that a commitment to excellence by all persons on campus will create mutual trust between students and faculty and staff.
Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409.
