The question asked of us for the final exam harkens me back to 1985 and the John Hughes movie The Breakfast Club. In this movie, if your 1980’s pop culture memories have been fogged over by the passage of time, is about a group of students who are sentenced to Saturday detention “to ponder the error of (their) ways” because of misdeeds during the school week, and end up (spoiler alert) with a better understanding of themselves and each other. In other words in can be inferred that they found themselves, and during the Saturday detention, assisted others in finding themselves. I’m in no way implying that and entire Introduction to Liberal Studies class can be taught by locking students in a library for nine hours on a Saturday. With all Hollywood productions you need to suspend some of your disbelief. The question that I will answer is: What does Liberal Studies mean to you? I will touch on question two, which was to explain my goal for this program, but I feel it does not apply to me as I am graduating now. I instead will explain what Liberal Studies will mean to me going forward. An outstanding Professor at University once introduced me a notion, and I believe that I have grasped the concept he so elegantly explained. To be a successful leader is to allow others to find their voice. That leader will inspire and connect with his team on a spiritual, mental, emotional and physical level, and inspire others to find their voice. Getting back to the movie mentioned above. The question asked of the “breakfast club” students was to write a one thousand word essay explaining their answer to the question…”who do you think you are.” I will answer the question what does Liberal Studies mean to you, within the answer to the question, who do I think I am. “Screws fall out all the time…the world is an imperfect place”. -- John Bender

I’m by far not the traditional student. Nor am I a traditional non-traditional student. I spent six years following high school at University, three at UW-Waukesha and three at UW-Whitewater. When I left Whitewater in 1995, I had 159 credits with no degree. I was recruited to work at American Family Insurance and replace my father in the East Troy agency. Success in this industry was strikingly simple to me as if I had been pre-destined to do this job my entire life. In the seventeen years that I placed my efforts there, I achieved every sales level the company had to offer. Some a few times, some many times over. I applied and was accepted into the company’s sales manager training. After the training was completed, I would have my choice of many district sales managers’ positions within the company. I would simply need to apply for them, and with my sales skills and history of success, I would more than likely receive the job. However, I had a few roadblock s to overcome before I could jump at this opportunity. First, was my family. I was married with three boys. The oldest boy continually reminded me that he did not want to move away. He explained in a very mature, yet ten year old way that he would move in with his grandparents next door should I take a job that required a move. This leads me to situation two, my in-laws. My father-in-law has leukemia and has lived with this for four years now. My mother-in law has had two hip surgeries and cannot walk without a cane or other assistance. They are both from the old country with no relatives here, well into their seventies, and they plan on living next door to us, under our care, until the end. My mother is also a factor. Since I have four other surviving brothers and sisters, I’m sure that they could step up to take care of her if I was miles away. However, the youngest child wants to have his mother experience his sons as much as she has experienced all of her other grandchildren. The third and final reasoning behind my lack of upward movement was each current district manager, from all areas of the company, no matter the experience, explained that could not advise me to leave my agency to take a management position. One manager actually joked that he would personally kick my ass if I took a district manager position and left my agency. Still, against all of this strong advice, I was much more strong headed about needing a challenge. Somewhere I lost my way from simply enjoying the success of my agency, the income it bought, and the freedom it gave me and my family. Whether it was my ego which created a monster that believed I could do no wrong, or that I completely lost my fear of failure that seemed to drive me to the success in the first place, I was headed down a road many have taken but few have been able to course correct on their own.

“…you should spend a little more time trying to do something with your life and a little less time trying to impress people”. -- Principal Vernon

After my resignation from American Family, I was in an absolute panic. My wife was not working, and now our sole income was going to be gone, yet the biggest issue I was dealing with was what with everyone think about me. My ego was so out of control I was more concerned about the prestige that the job gave me and pillar of the community that I felt I was, than how we were going to eat, or how we were going to pay our mortgage. I was embarrassed and did not want to talk to or see any of my past clients as I would have to explain why I was no longer their agent and what the circumstances that caused me to leave were. I would have to explain why a family business that had our family name attached to it for over forty-four years would no longer be the “Tess” agency. Needless to say it was a difficult time.

You can disappear forever and it wouldn’t make any difference. - Andrew Clark

I think I had a fear of passing into nothingness. I had an enormous client base all who called and asked for me all day, of every day of the year. I had a family who needed me to lead and support them financially, and also as a role model. Now I was jobless and income-less. I looked to try to find a job that I could slip right into, but everything that held my interest required a bachelor’s degree of some type before I would even step my foot in the door. My next contact was to reapply at

When you grow up, your heart dies.

In conclusion, getting back once again to the 1980’s and one of my mind shaping influence vice movies the Breakfast Club, the question asked was who do you think you are?

We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong, but we think you’re crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms with the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question?