The Influence We Carry With Us
When we look at someone’s professional journey, we often see the milestones first, the qualifications earned, responsibilities taken on, challenges overcome, and achievements reached. What is less visible are the people and experiences that helped make those milestones possible.
Reflecting on learning, professional experience, and the influences that shape us over time, Dr. Joel Farnworth, Dean of Business and Management Studies at European International University, shares a message that brings attention to this often less visible side of progress. From the lessons gained through professional practice to the support received throughout life, development is shaped by more than what happens in the classroom.
Learning Begins in Unexpected Places
For Dr. Farnworth, some of those influences began long before his professional career.
As the youngest of six children, he remembers weekend mornings spent with his older brothers, who taught him to read and helped him learn mathematics through something as simple as playing cards. What may have seemed like ordinary moments at the time became part of a much longer journey of learning and development.
His reflection offers a simple reminder that learning can begin in unexpected places. Formal education provides important foundations, but knowledge and experience can also develop through the people around us and the moments we share with them. Sometimes, the significance of those early influences becomes clearer only when we look back on how far the journey has taken us.
Learning Through Experience
As that journey continues into professional life, experience becomes another important source of learning.
Drawing on a career across industries, organisations, and different working environments, Dr. Farnworth describes himself as a practitioner. His approach to education is shaped by what he has experienced in the workplace, where ideas are tested against real situations and where professionals learn what works, what does not, and how to respond to the complexities they encounter.
This perspective also reflects the practitioner-led approach valued at EIU-Paris. Academic knowledge remains an important foundation, while professional experience brings another dimension to learning by connecting ideas with the realities of organisational life. For Dr. Farnworth, the aim is not simply to share thoughts and ideas, but to offer learning that has value in the real world.
The People Behind the Milestones
Professional experience is only one part of the journey. Alongside the knowledge and capabilities developed over time are the people whose support, sacrifice, and belief help make progress possible.
Dr. Farnworth’s reflection on his older brothers offers a personal example of how this influence can begin early and continue throughout life. While visible milestones such as completing a qualification or progressing professionally may receive the most attention, behind them are experiences accumulated over time and people who have shared in the journey.
Learning can take place through formal education, professional practice, and the experiences we encounter throughout life. Recognising these influences reminds us that progress is shaped not only by what we achieve, but also by what we learn, the experiences we carry with us, and the people who have been part of the journey. As our graduates move forward, EIU-Paris remains proud to be part of that continuing journey.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐:
๐ฉ [email protected]
๐WhatsApp: +33607591197
๐ https://eiu.ac/lead_form/
๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐๐น ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐:
๐ Journals Library https://journals.eiu.ac/
โ๏ธ EIU-Paris Blogs https://blog.eiu.ac
๐ Merchandise https://shop.eiu.ac/
๐ Magazine https://blog.eiu.ac/eiu-magazine/