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Show THE THUNDERBIRD · SOl.TfHERN UTAH UNIVERSITI • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1992 • PAGE 7 Second titne around is winner for SU student "If you have the motivation, you can tum your life around" is the message from Brent Bills, who earned first place in accounting representing SUU at the 1992 Phi Beta Lambda National Leadership Conference. Bills was one of the five members of the SUU PBL chapter to attend the national competition. He also won three of the 23 awards SUU students earned at state competition. Bills knows exacdy what he's talking about, too, because he flunked out during his first try at college. Originally from Manti, Bills attended public school there until his family moved to the small, remote community of Manila. He petitioned the local school board to allow him to leave high school a year early to attend Snow College. His plan was to transfer credjts back to his high school in order to graduate, while getting off to an early start in a college education. Things didn't work out as planned. Despite his plan, school just didn't interest Bills, and his grades languished-plunging to a 1.9 GPA "That [GPA) might be a little bit high," Bills said. "It was pretty bad." In spring quarter 1985, he earned one "A," in jogging, while the rest of his grades were "Fs." He managed to earn his high school diploma, but that was it Bills said he didn't particularly care at the time, he already had plans' to join the U.S. Navy. During his six years in the Navy, Bills attended nuclear power plant school, becoming an electrician. After two years of school, which he passed, he was assigned to the nuclear-powered missile cruiser U.S.S. Long Beach. That was when Bills' education really began . "I learned what I didn't want to do," he said. "I learned what it's like to do manual labor for an employer who really doesn't care about you." He began making plans to return to college long before his enlistment was up. More than just making plans, he began to take action to achieve his new goal. He earned 19 hours of college credit through service education programs. However, he ran into some problems in finding a school to attend because of his previous grades. An official from one unjversity blundy told him: "A lot of colleges believe in forgiveness, and this isn't one of them." His parents had move to Price, home of C EU, and fortunately for Bills, it was one of the forgiving colleges. Still in the Navy, he signed up for two correspondence courses in accounting from CEU, earning another 10 credits. He mustered out of the Navy in May 1991, and immediately began summer school at CEU, earning a whopping 31 credit hours during the course of a single summer. He didn't slow down for a moment and took another 19 hours fall quarter, completing requirements for an associate degree-and with a solid 4.0 GPA When he returned for commencement exercises in the spring of 1992, it would be as valedictorian for the college. He then began looking for a four year school and found Roger Hillyard, head of the SU business department Hillyard convinced Bills that SUU was the school he was looking for, and he enrolled winter quarter of 1992. He again quickly proved that this was "the new Brent Bills," by racking up a 3.93 GPA and becoming a leader in SU's Chi Alpha chapter of PBL He is currendy the treasurer of PBL but he will graduate with a bachelor's degree in June, only two years after getting out of the Navy. For Bills, finding a direction and achieving academic success was a matter of learning by experience what he didn't want to do with his life. JEWELRY REPAIR DIAMOND SETTING 9th Annual Ceramic Christmas Sale Handmade: pots, mugs Zion Conference Rooms Student Center Thursday and Friday - NOW RENTING! New apartments ~fraffnr~ @11mm11us 576 W. 1045 N. •Men's & Women's Units •Newly constructed and furnished •3 bedroom, 2 bath •Ample parking •Air conditioned •Gas Heat •Jacuzzi •Microwave/Dishwasher •Laundry in Building •Club House/Big Screen TV •Non-Smoking/Non-Drinking Facilities I $390/per quarter, per person For information about the Stratford Commons apartments call 865-1035 The best place in town just got better! Try our freshly made deli sandwiches r---ourAnyiime-specr~---1 1 l SCOTT BROOKSBY CUSTOM DESIGN (801) 586-8236 GRADUATE GEMOLOGISTS • Large Sandwich, Bag of Chips & Drink · All for $2.19 · 1 l 1 L---------------------~ Don't forget to get your combo card stamped 570 S. Main St. 586-2323 ~~xt door to Sounds Easy Video |