Middleton’s message on students’ future

If a friendly man strikes up a conversion and greets you in the elevator, don't be surprised if it is the president of the university.

Returning students can attest that an elevator crowded with students and Roosevelt University President Charles Middleton aboard might be more pleasant than the average crammed ride.

"When you run into me, please say hello, in the elevator or whatever," Middleton said. "I love students."

Getting off the elevator on the seventh floor, he walks through the open doors of his spacious office. At the dawn of another school year, Middleton said the message he wants to welcome new and returning students with has three parts. "For starters, thank you for saying "yes" when we ask you to be part of this community and for being a student here."

He continued, "How you live your life in the future is forever transformed by the nature of the university you go to school in, what you learn there and who you meet there. The values that underly that culture, they shape you, you build upon them, you change, you move on, but it's foundational," Middleton said.

However small the decision might seem at the time, Middleton asserted that school can influence fundamental aspects of who a student will be 30, 40 or 50 years from now.

The second part of Middleton's message is to persevere. He said, "When you deal with the challenges of being a successful student, it's important for you to persist, for a couple of reasons.

The first is, learning persistence skills, taking advantage of opportunities and not being discouraged easily is critical for long term success in life, both personally and professionally.

"The second thing, is because for young people, it's going to be really critical that you have a college diploma." Middleton said in this era, having an actual degree is going to be critical to professional, and personal, success.

He maintained that the benefit is also an intangible aspect of someone is a person, and that people with education tend to be more skeptical, learn to ask questions, make up their own mind, and if they have children, their children are more likely to get a college education.

"Stay the course, get the degree. You're investing in yourself and your own future," he said.

The third thing Middleton recommended is that students shouldn't be solely concerned with academics.

"You're supposed to have fun, doing things that don't get you any credit on a transcript." Students should take time to enjoy their life and explore, he said. "Study hard, work hard, but you have to play hard too."