Centralight

for the sake of learning' money. Make it about being part of something meaningful. Create a sense of value. Make it about being your best and doing your best. The money will follow. If you're doing it for the right reasons, the rewards will follow. This requires a paradigm shift in our thinking – not only do we need to value learning, but we also need to hold each other to a higher standard. If you expect great things of students, guess what happens? You get great students. It applies to everything. It works in family life, in coaching, in working with young people. When you have young people who are failing, it's usually because it isn't clear what's expected. They don't know what excellence looks like. I had a high school English teacher, Terry Carnahan, '54. And his classroom was unlike any classroom I'd ever been in. He called on us incessantly. There was so much accountability in his classroom. He was very demanding, had exacting standards and made us struggle and strive every class period. When you create high expectations and hold people accountable, they blossom right before your eyes. • Gary Gagnon is an assistant professor of marketing and hospitality services administration who was named Michigan Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2005. He and his wife, Lori, have six children. As told to Cynthia J. Drake Former students say … "My favorite Gagnon quote that I use with my staff and colleagues is still, 'I don't want to hear the labor pains – I just want to see the baby.' That is a motto I always refer to when making business decisions. He is hands-down the best professor I had at CMU." Lindsey Bur, '07, assistant general manager, Stafford's Pier Restaurant, Harbor Springs "He walked up to the whiteboard and wrote, 'The answer is yes. What is the question?' I have posted this statement in the break rooms and back offices of all the hotels I have worked in. In hospitality, we are in the business of making memorable experiences for both guests and team members. 'No' should never be a part of your vocabulary." Ryan Frederick, '05, dual general manager of the Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott Houston Downtown/Convention Center centralight fall '13 7

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