Mike Lawless
In talking to Mike about his life at King's, in between and now at Sony Music where he works with musicians as well as those individuals developing the cutting edge technology and products, he told us the following:
"Attending King's was one of the easiest, and best decisions of my life. A family tradition of attending King's, along with the King's Social Justice Scholarship made it an easy decision for me. Arriving on campus during O-Week was only of the most incredible days of my life-never had I gone somewhere so unfamiliar, that felt so comfortable so quickly. This was what made King's so unique-it really is a large, extended family. I'm not a fan of normally using that analogy, but as I prepare for my wedding in August- it is more evident than ever. We have an extremely large wedding party, but amongst the group- 5 of my groomsmen, 2 bridesmaids, our MC, the DJs and the man who is marrying me all went to King's with me.
Because King's offered such a welcoming, warm, close community, it also inspired people with the confidence to participate in all aspects of the school. The size, and nature of King's eliminated the "intimidation factor" that is so prevalent in larger environments-and as a result, everyone felt like there was an opportunity to get involved-inside, and outside of the classroom.
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The liberal arts education I received at King's (BA History) has also played a major role in my career up until now. Granted, I don't find myself recollecting battle strategies from the American Civil War on a frequent basis, but the critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills I learned in these courses have been paramount to my ability to progress my career. I firmly believe that an undergraduate degree is as mch about discovering how to learn, as it is about the topics themselves.I am now almost 7 years removed from graduating from King's, yet I still credit King's with instilling in me the knowledge, and perhaps more importantly, the confidence that I have found necessary to pursue the career path(s) that I have taken.
After serving as King's Student Council President in 2000-2001, I was fortunate enough to be elected President of the University Students Council for all of Western. From there- I moved on to work for King's as Admissions and Liaison Officer, worked as a musician aboard several ships in the Caribbean, recorded a pair of albums of my own music, worked in Advertising Sales, and ended up in my current role with Sony Music, 2 years ago.
In my opinion, King's is a unique oasis in the Canadian university landscape- it is a home away from home, a place where lifelong friendships are built, where professors care about the success of their students, where staff want to make the experience as positive as possible, and where students are given the education, the opportunity and the confidence that is no necessary to finding success and happiness in the world we live in."