Muscogee County Teacher of the Year Speaks to College Freshmen at Convocation

Stefan Lawrence gives motivational speech

​Columbus State University hosted its First Year Convocation last Friday at 12 p.m. in University Hall. Muscogee County Teacher of the Year, Stefan Lawrence addressed the freshmen students. Lawrence spoke on the importance of making the most of the college experience.

During his speech, Lawrence urged freshmen to gain experience and network. “An investment in people is the best investment anybody can make,” said Lawrence. “Going to school at Columbus State will turn you into a life-long learner.”

“Be an advocate for truth, be somebody who really hunts for the truth,” Lawrence reminded students and added, “Invest in people because people drive society.”

Lawrence closed his speech with a valuable reminder of the purpose of higher education. “Don’t pick a major based on money,” Lawrence advised. He told an anecdote of how he randomly picked pharmacy as his initial major, in hopes of becoming wealthy. He then explained how he changed his major five times until he found himself majoring in education. “It [was] the best decision [he had] made in [his] entire life.”

To drive home his message and ensure students understand they need to pursue what makes them happy, Lawrence concluded, “The functional equivalent of hell on earth is waking up every day and doing something you hate.”