The Tribune

Young Fred Perpall had a dream of becoming an architect. However, little time during his first year at what was then the College of The Bahamas (COB) was spent in the classroom; instead Fred rolled around town visiting old high school friends and frequented surrounding fast food eateries. The ‘fun’ came to a screeching halt when his first-year grades did not reflect what Fred’s parents knew he was capable of.

“After my first two semesters, my dad pulled me aside and said, ‘Look, if you are not going to do well in college, you can quit wasting your time and my money. This your last time you can bring home a GPA less than a 2.0.’ I had to learn how to work hard. I had a second chance,” Fred recalled.

Taking his dad’s warning to heart, he began to turn things around one grade at a time.

“I learned how to compete. I learned that the quickest way to get good grades in class was to sit up front. I learned that if I was average in the class, all I had to ask was, ‘Where to do I stand in the class? And what do I need to do that these students aren’t going to do better?’”

Fred learned valuable lessons during his university experience and excelled beyond his own wildest imagination.

He successfully earned his associate of science degree in architecture from COB in 1993 and continued on to complete a bachelor of science and a master of architecture at the University of Texas at Arlington. In 1996, he began his career in design and construction. The Lyford Cay scholar (1990) is currently the chief executive officer of the US-based design-build firm, the Beck Group. Some of his acclaimed architectural design projects under his company’s management have included The University of Texas at Dallas Engineering building; Dr William B Dean Learning Centre at Dallas Baptist University; and Harim Group headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. Additional projects have involved the Princess Margaret Hospital, the College of The Bahamas, the Bay Rec Condominiums, Nassau International Airport and Commonwealth Bank in The Bahamas.

As an alumnus of the 183rd class of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Programme, Fred was invited to give the keynote address at The University of The Bahamas New Providence spring commencement exercise. He shared sage advice with the historic 900 plus class of 2018.

“Graduates, you have to stay committed to working hard; your hard work has put you in those seats. Let me tell you that you don’t have to be the smartest, you don’t have to be a genius, you don’t have to be the magna cum laude or summa cum laude; you just have to get there before they get there. You don’t have to be stronger or smarter than them; you just have to be willing to work harder. Working hard is the equaliser.”

The 2016 prestigious American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows Fellow, who is part of the AIA Large-Firm Roundtable, continued sharing key truths about becoming successful.

“Some of us won’t be successful because we are comfortable with being average. Some of us won’t be successful because if your boss or your professor tells you ‘You are average,’ you are good with that. See, you’ve been lazy all your life, and now someone comes to offer you six figures but all you have to do is show up early and work hard. How are you going to learn that on the fly? Graduates, you have to stay committed to working hard; your hard work has put you in those seats.”

“Gain An Edge” is a weekly collaboration of the Lyford Cay Foundations, the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute and University of The Bahamas aimed at promoting a national dialogue on higher education. To share your thoughts, email gainanedge@tribunemedia.net.