Willingness to Learn

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.

– Booker T. Washington

John’s appetite for learning matched his enjoyment of a satisfying meal. Beginning as a young child, he lived a life full of wonder and always had a thirst for knowledge. He shared his appreciation for learning by encouraging young people to read, get an education, travel, study people, and learn about the wonders of the world. There was so much to learn from John if you watched him maneuver through life with such skill and grace. He combined his formal education from the University of Southern California (USC) and Howard University with God-given talents to charm, maneuver and navigate in this society. He brilliantly leveraged his transformative education to access places and people that made his aspirations a reality. His perceptive view of education included knowing what he did not know. He wisely realized that obtaining goals requires education combined with compassion, understanding, and the ability to listen, care and appreciate different perspectives. He regularly took extended educational courses. When planning a trip to a foreign country, he would spend a month to learn how to speak, write, and read in the language of the country he would be visiting. Learning was a way of life for John.