For many first and second year college students, navigating college life comes with the overwhelming pressure to figure out their future.
Speaker and author Robb Holman brought a message to campus on Thursday at the High Auditorium where he advises students to simply take a deep breath.
Speaking ahead of his talk, “Rooted: Finding Your Identity, Your People, and Your Place,” Holman discussed how students can ground themselves throughout academic expectations, athletic performance pressures even and career anxieties.
“We live in such a fast paced world where it feels like we should know exactly who we are and what we should do,” Holman said. “Be intentional with time, maybe even on a daily basis. Have moments of reflection where, instead of asking ‘What do I need to do?’, you take a deep breath and appreciate where you are right now.”
Holman, a former basketball player, understands how easy it is for students to tie their self worth strictly to external results, whether that is athletic stats, test scores or social media statuses.
“True purpose supersedes any goals or accomplishments,” Holman said. “Regardless of what we do, we have to realize that we have value apart from anything that we do or don’t do, just as a human being who is given a unique purpose.”
To help students build self awareness, Holman shared five practical questions he encourages every underclassman to ponder during times of reflection:
First, what are your top personal core values? Identifying the non-negotiables like commitment, communication, or serving others, that dictate daily living.
Secondly, what are your natural strengths? Recognizing the talents that bring ease and joy and ultimately benefit surrounding communities and peers.
Thirdly, what are your passion areas right now? Focusing on present interests, such as friendships, summer travel or new topics of study, rather than stressing about things five years down the road.
Fourthly, what are your most significant life milestones? Examining both past challenges and major experiences that have shaped who you are today.
And finally, what is your primary gift to the world? Understanding how your personal qualities can be shared outward to serve others.
Holman’s focus on identity comes from his own personal health crisis while he was entering his senior year of college.
After experiencing severe pain and a rapidly growing abdominal mass that went undiagnosed for six weeks, he was worried of the possibility of cancer, especially when doctors didn’t rule out that possibility.
Weeks later, during a follow-bup ultrasound, specialists discovered the mass had disappeared. This experience altered Holman’s outlook on life and his career direction.
“I started going after my passions,” Holman said. “I started asking questions I’d never asked before. Why am I really here? Who am I here to serve? I realized life was too short.”
That shift in perspective led Holman to launch his first business by age 21, followed by a second company at 23, while continuing to pursue professional basketball.
More than three decades later, he uses those lessons to guide college students through similar life changing moments.
Beyond self reflection, Holman believes that real connection comes from the willingness to both seek out guidance and offer it.
“Be committed to being a mentor, but also to being mentored,” Holman said. “It’s like an underground root structure. When you’re committed to that process, you start to become rooted. Before long, things start to break above the surface, and you see a healthy tree.”
When asked what advice he would offer his younger self, Holman knew exactly what he’d say.
“It’s not just about you,” he said. “When I was in early college, I’d look in the mirror and all I’d see was me. As time went on, I realized I was here to be a gift in other people’s lives. The more you embrace who you are, the more you elevate those around you.”
For students trying to navigate the complexity of campus life and adulthood, Holman hopes students can learn from his story and message.
“There is no better time than right here and right now to discover or rediscover who you are,” said Holman said. “When you grasp that, it changes everything.”
