MY STORY
Hi, my name is Geo Derice. I was that disengaged student who would never be found on campus outside class hours. I walked away from college with 2 friends in 4 years and attended only 1 club meeting, which happened only because they were offering free food that one meeting. I describe my college experience as one of pure hate, to the degree that when I drive pass my alma mater I cringe. How could one’s college experience go so wrong? Was it the college? Was it I, the student?
After I graduated college with a degree (and not an education) I was working any job I could, including being a personal trainer. That job changed my life because I realized here I was, the college graduate working a job alongside high school graduate co-workers. I was mad. I was mad at college for not being what I needed it to be. I wasn’t passionate about fitness, I just wanted a job. How come college didn’t set me up to succeed? And I felt inadequate to do basic things like communicating with those I did not know BECAUSE I NEVER learned networking skills while attending college or how to work on big projects which now I know would have been a part of the experience in participating in student organizations/clubs.
I spent so much time mad at my college for not helping me succeed until I met a mentor that made me look in the mirror and realize it wasn’t that the resources weren’t on campus, it was that I didn’t maximize my experience to utilize the resources at hand.
I WAS lucky enough to meet a mentor to who taught me the skills and tools I needed to become successful in the real world. However, I could have avoided years of pain and suffering if I would have just done college the right way. But I wasn’t interested in college the way it was presented to me. In fact, I discovered my story wasn’t unique. Many current students are disengaged and student apathy is on a scary rise. I’ve been fortunate enough to see first hand exactly why students are not engaged and how to create an experience that is engaging. Based on research and a real-life tested approach, the programming we offer to student leaders and emerging leaders will impact the culture of your campus to make sure your students graduate with the real world skills they need to create a college experience they really want.
I’M committed to speaking on every college campus to ensure no student walks away with anything less than the full college experience, after all, it’s the dress rehearsal of the life you’ll spend the rest of your years living.
