3.24.23
Lynn Nichols gives advice on weathering the post-college career
Shocker profiles highlight the students, alumni, supporters, faculty and staff who make Shocker Nation all that it can be. These short Q&As allow you to hear from these remarkable individuals in their own words.
Lynn Nichols
Chairman and CEO, Yingling AviationChairman, WSU Foundation Board of DirectorsTell us a little about how you’re involved with Wichita State.
My wife and I have always felt that the best gift that you can give your children is a great education, and they can then take that knowledge and apply it to whatever they want to do going forward, which will hopefully enrich their lives and their families’.
Because of that belief, I’ve been involved in higher education for many years. I’ve served on the board of trustees for another private college and enjoyed it so much that when the opportunity came up to be affiliated with Wichita State University, I jumped on that opportunity. What the Foundation does here at Wichita State University, its mission is to help students succeed with regards to eliminating the economic component of learning and attending the university.
Why Wichita State?
Wichita State University plays such an integral role within our community. And it’s not just education, but what they do to our community. They help Wichita prosper; they help with job creation. There’s an economic development component to what Wichita State University does here in the community.
I can’t imagine what Wichita would be like without Wichita State University. Come out here to the innovation Campus, you’ll see different names on the buildings. Those are current employers and future employers to our students. Coupled to that is our applied learning—I’m a huge believer in applied learning. It generates tremendous benefit, short- and long-term.
Why do you think it’s important to give to WSU, especially in the areas that you give to?
I think it’s harder and harder to go to college today. I’m not saying it wasn’t difficult when I went to school; I remember the tuition costs back then for the semester was $600. To me, that was a lot of money. But fast-forward today, if you look at the cost of education—tuition, books, so forth—over the past 50 years, we’ve just seen that rise.
So, my wife and I make gifts to the school. If it helps a student’s budget where they can better afford to go to school, then I think that’s mission accomplished. That may come in different forms. It may come from a scholarship, a gift to the new business school, the new student center in Clinton Hall or through athletics. As an observer, we can’t see what’s going on in the classroom, but athletics gives us a large window to engage with Wichita State University. If our gift and supporting athletics can help better a student’s experience at WSU, then I think that’s another mission accomplished.
What advice would you give to a current WSU student?
Enjoy your time at Wichita State as a student. If you have that attitude right off the bat, you’re going to have a better experience. Take learning seriously yet have some fun. There will be times it can be frustrating, but hang in there.
Study hard, but if you need to ask a question or feel like you need to visit with a professor, do it. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand. Most likely, there are going to be other students in the room who may be pondering the same thing you are. If you raise your hand and you ask that question, you might be helping the student next to you, too.
Study hard, stay focused, enjoy, but challenge yourself to learn.
What advice would you give to a college senior?
Keep a positive and ‘Can Do’ attitude as you move into the workplace. Always display the desire to learn more about your job and the organization you’re working for. There will be up and down days. On the down days, just maintain a good disposition and plow through it. There will always be people above you observing, so be there with the right frame of mind and the right attitude.
Your knowledge is authority; don’t be timid. There are a lot of opportunities out there. For some of you, the door may open automatically. For others, you may feel like the door doesn’t seem to be opening. Kick the door open! Don’t be afraid to challenge that perceived obstruction.
Work as hard as you studied. I know that you will enjoy it, and you’ll certainly be able to look back and see what your education has done for you, wherever you are in your career. It’ll move you forward in a more accelerated way.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to?
I just finished a John Grisham book, “The Judge’s List.” And I just picked up a new book, “Freedom’s Forge” by Arthur Herman. It is about how America’s best companies and top talent came together and transformed their companies to aid in the winning of WWII.
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