I attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, a great institution that sent me out the door prepared to be successful as a man.
But, I wasn’t sure what was next. While my two older sisters attended college, no one in my family had graduated.
Still, I picked the college path and enrolled at Dillard University, a private, historically black liberal arts college in New Orleans.
I picked Dillard because it was a small campus – 1,200 students at the time – where I thought it would be nice to be able to get to know all my peers and professors.
Once I was there, I continued doing what I knew how to do. I treated my freshman year as my fifth year of high school. I attended every class, but I lacked focus.
In college, especially a small college, having little or no focus is discovered very quickly.
Where some institutions may have acted in a non-caring manner, treating a student as one of tens of thousands, the Dillard faculty took the time to work with me and coach me, re-charting my course.
With my renewed concentration, I could see that what drew me to Dillard in the first place was in fact true. The close-knit environment meant we had access to many accomplished educators and business leaders, many of whom looked like me.
They didn’t just know our names. They took the time to understand who we really were, nurturing and challenging us on an individual basis.
The most impactful professor in my tenure at Dillard was Dr. Barbara G. Thompson, the first African American woman to receive her Ph.D. from Tulane University.
Dr. Thompson was bold, she was brass, and she was challenging. She made a lasting impact in my life, and I frequently thanked her for what she did for me prior to her death in 2015.
The first class I took with Dr. Thompson, she sat on the desk, and said: “Everything you heard about me is correct. If you want to, you can bring me your class ticket and you can withdraw right now.”
While one classmate took her up on her offer, the rest of us were probably too frightened to move. I turned that startling moment into a great opportunity.
Dr. Thompson was there to challenge us. She taught us, not just about academics, but about life and the world.
After that class, and the other classes I took with Dr. Thompson and other influential professors at Dillard, I saw the kind of confidence you can develop when surrounded by the right people and environment. The professors cared, challenged and encouraged students progressively – and daily.
Those are lessons I carried into graduate school at Tulane University, into my first job and my work even today as the senior vice president and chief people officer at Cox Automotive.
While Cox Automotive has 31,000 employees around the world, I strive to create an environment where no one feels like one of many.
I like to meet with people, especially those on my team, individually. I want to get to know people and what is important to them, what they aspire to be.
With that knowledge, I can help direct initiatives and career development opportunities their way, so I can help them further their own goals.
Thankfully, our company and parent company, Cox Enterprises, shares the same beliefs. In my career, I have never seen an organization that is so deeply committed to taking care of its team members, personally and professionally.
If not for my time at Dillard, my life would not be what it is today. Dillard welcomed me, supported me, nurtured me, challenged me personally, and developed me professionally.
I am thankful the university and faculty recognize the potential of its students.
And, I am thankful that I now have the opportunity to do the same for others every day.
Rock Anderson is a 1985 graduate of Dillard University and the senior vice president and chief people officer at Cox Automotive.
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