GPA Isn't Everything, Alumnus Says

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by Megan Bainum in The Utah Statesman, Monday, March 1, 2010

 

Getting a well-rounded education by branching out into different classes, appreciating school and taking advantage of every situation was some of the advice given Friday [March 26, 2010] at the [David B. Haight] Alumni House.

 

Glade Myler, Cache Valley native and USU alumnus, spoke for the [College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences] Distinguished Alumni Speakers Series about education and the importance of getting as much out of the college experience as possible.

 

“The thing I want to stress today is, get a varied education,” Myler said. “With the way the economy is, knowing more can only help you.”

 

Myler said there is a “problem in the education world” with people saying students don’t need a well-rounded education, which he disagrees.

 

Myler himself got a well-rounded education by taking a range of classes, such as child development, zoology, public speaking and literature classes. He said his public speaking class was one of the most important classes because it helped him throughout his careers. He told students if there is a chance to take a public speaking class, then do it. Myler said even though he hasn’t used some of the information, he doesn’t regret taking any of the classes he did.

 

“You can’t know everything, but if you are exposed to different things you may be surprised when you have to call upon those kinds of things later in life,” Myler said.

 

Myler speaks of his education as being invaluable and the things he has learned has helped him through his life multiple times, he said. Myler speaks Spanish, Portuguese, German, French and Italian, and said he has been able to use that knowledge in his various jobs throughout the years.

 

Myler said he started out wanting to be a finance major and from there decided to be a literacy teacher. However, he said because of the 1972 recession, teaching jobs dried up and he changed his mind, again. From there he went on to work in Chicago at a battery manufacturer and because of his keyboarding skills, he said he got a job at an international bank in Chicago. He said he then decided he would apply to BYU law school. That was his turning point in life, he said.

 

“My wife cried when she found out I had been accepted to Brigham Young University,” Myler said. “But the whole thing was very much worthwhile.”

 

Myler said he worked all through law school, and by his third year he was working three part-time jobs. While he was in school his wife was raising his four children and he said even though managing school, work and his family was hard, it was still worth every bit.

 

Now Myler is a senior deputy attorney general, practicing mainly administrative law, and representing all aspects of emergency management and homeland security for the state of Nevada. Myler said everything accomplished throughout his career has been thanks to his education.

 

“Don’t regret any of it,” Myler said, “I hope you guys will see the importance of school and realize that you have to use education for everything and that it will help you get where you want to be in life.”

 

Myler said GPAs aren’t everything, and employers look more at other things when hiring.

 

“Your GPA isn’t the only thing that is important,” Myler said. “Dedicate yourself but just do the best you can. If you can speak well and present yourself well, they will hire you.”

 

Myler told students to try something that is fun. He said people can learn something from anybody, it doesn’t matter who it is. He said go ahead and take different classes and see what comes out of them.

 

“Take advantage of every situation. Life is a journey and you learn a lot through life. Sometimes we get caught up in everyday life, in studying, and it is still good because it is still a journey,” Myler said.