Dave Mitchell

I came from a medium-sized public school just over an hour away, and since about 10th grade, I knew generally what I wanted to study in college, economics and music. I chose Lafayette because it fit most of the criteria that I was seeking: not too big, not too small, not in a major city, close enough to home to be able to get back sometimes but far enough away to be “away,” coed, private, liberal arts, and good academic standards.

What has become apparent to me now that I didn’t realize during my search, is that college is indeed what you make it. I ended up doing a lot more music-related activities than I had imagined. I started doing something which I hadn’t done in high school, singing a cappella music. It combined my love for making good music with my love of being around people. I have performed with the Chorduroys and other musical groups at Lafayette countless times.

Academic endeavor has been in a delicate balance with musical and other extracurricular activities, but that worked best for me. I felt most productive during the semesters when I exerted myself both musically and academically. During light semesters, I never felt quite the same motivation. As a result of this kind of mentality and schedule, college felt like a relatively short endeavor, not only because I finished early, but because of the amount of activity I was able to pursue during my years here.

I have finished my graduation requirements and am now working in entrepreneurial sales. I’ve learned that it is important for me to take justifiable risks. In my financial planning and sales practice, I feel connected to my career. If I produce, I am paid; not for time spent, but for production. It forces me to motivate myself and set my own goals and priorities. It also combines my loves and personalities—my artistic side, working with other people, and being responsible for one’s financial well-being,

My coursework, performing in ensembles, and general experience at Lafayette helped me find these paradigms in my life. The finance and microeconomics courses and professors, especially Don Chambers, Jerry Heavey, and Chris Ruebeck, helped me define my own rights and wrongs: concepts of property rights and fundamental human rights, concepts of efficiency, and the necessity of functioning markets. These cemented the fundamental and practical side of my life.

The music leadership and performing helped me develop a connectivity to people and gave me the venues to practice relating and leading. It also thrust me into positions in which I had no choice but to do what I thought was best and make decisions for myself. All too often college-aged students hit the real world without a running start. The positions I held gave me an understanding of what makes me tick and valuable practice in relating to all sorts of people, providing me with the ability to succeed, especially in my chosen career.