Celts Breakfast Club: Mr. Ernie Cockrell
By Aldon Landers—The transition from academic life to various career fields astonishes new graduates when they realize that some of the ideals taught in college do not equate to real world experiences. A growing culture of hiring managers seems to be focused on formulating teams and promoting their organization’s missions, but many dismiss the notion that giving people the opportunity to work builds experience. The most challenging task of a new graduate resides within the boundaries of gathering necessary skills and experience, to boost their marketability. To help with this transition, the University of St. Thomas Cameron School of Business (CSB) has taken steps to remedy this seniorities meltdown, by providing opportunities through the Celts Breakfast Club in which Chief Executive Officers (CEO’s) and Executives are welcomed to share experiences so students can learn about their respective fields. The Celts Breakfast Club hosted Mr. Ernie Cockrell on April 16, 2015, to discuss business-related topics in a small group setting.
Distinguished Guests
Invited to join other hand-selected scholars of University of St. Thomas (UST), I gladly accepted the opportunity to meet with leaders within the university’s administration. In attendance was Dr. Robert Ivany, president of UST, Dr. Beena George, dean of CSB, Mr. Dan Breen the president and CEO of Breen Investors LP and special invited guest Mr. Ernie Cockrell president and director of The Cockrell Foundation.
Mr. Cockrell’s Texas Heritage
After a warm welcome and introduction by Dr. Ivany, I was filled with excitement and devoted my undivided attention to grasp the message that Mr. Cockrell had to share with us all. “There are two things in Texas history, if you live in Texas you need to know about,” stated Mr. Cockrell. The audience was silent in deep thought awaiting his response. Mr. Cockrell engaged the audience with a brief history of Sam Houston’s involvement in the Battle for Texas Independence and the oil discovery at Spindletop. He later added his families’ heritage and how Texas became their home state. The oil discovery at Spindletop was the stepping-stone that welcomed corporate development, alongside personal and corporate wealth to the overall economy of the state (Ramos, n.d.).
Principles to Live By
Mr. Cockrell accredits his fundamental understanding of the oil industry through hard work and experience passed down by his father. Although the oil and gas industry has been his first love, Mr. Cockrell was able to branch out into different fields of interest while sharing valuable information on the “Principles of Long-Term Investing” and the “Secrets of Happiness.” He shared a list of 49 guidelines of behavior that has governed his business encounters over the years. The audience sank their heads into the handouts distributed, delighted to receive the insider information from a guru in the oil and gas industry. I pondered upon number 23 which stated, “There are lots of opportunities, but very, very, very few that make a profit.” I was able to reminisce on previous classroom lecturers that translated the concept of a country that benefits from development and profit. Learning to analyze ineffective business practices is one of the many goals demonstrated by the didactic style of classroom instruction utilized by instructor-led discussions. UST instructors’ are dedicated to improving the quality of impressionable minds of students in classroom environments.
Conclusion
The Celts Breakfast Club, in association with the CSB, offers the right balance of classroom instruction and a fresh breath of field experience that promotes professional development among students. The personalize account that Mr. Ernie Cockrell shared with the audience, contributed immensely to the education of interested attendees, with lingering thoughts to the “Secret of Happiness.”
Aldon Landers.
UST – MBA Candidate 2016
Reference
Ramos, M. G. (n.d.). Oil and Texas: A Cultural History. Retrieved from https://texasalmanac.com/topics/business/oil-and-texas-cultural-history