On Gerard Phillips’ desk at work sits a small yellow sticky note, taped just beside his computer monitor. Written in black ink, in all caps, are three letters: L-U-I.
Learn. Understand. Improve.
“It’s something I live by,” he said. “If I had to leave future students with one thing, that would be it.”
The note is easy to miss. It’s partially covered by meeting agendas and leadership books. But Gerard sees it every day — before he leads calls across three states, before he mentors team members, before he records another installment of his “Mindset Mondays” YouTube series or his next Evolve with Gerard podcast episode.
These words followed him through his coursework at the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) and as he earned three promotions in under three years after two decades in the same role. They echoed again in 2025 when he self-published his first book and later crossed the commencement stage to receive his Bachelor of Arts in Business Leadership.
If it weren’t for a change in his growth mindset, perhaps none of these accomplishments would have occurred.
A Stage He Almost Didn’t Walk
Gerard Phillips (middle) at commencement alongside fellow grads Oliver Bustillos (left) and Lucille Larson (right)
The last time Gerard wore a graduation cap, he was a teenager. This time, he was in his 40s.
“I remember wondering if I’d be the oldest one there,” he recalls about attending the Spring 2025 Commencement ceremony in Glendale, Ariz. As he waited for his name to be called, he scanned the crowd — rows of families, flashes of phones held high. Among the graduates he observed people of all ages and walks of life.
“I had all these doubts,” he admits. Then I had to remind myself that I earned this. I put in the work. Walking across that stage, I just kept thinking, I really did this. I was proud — just genuinely proud.”
In the stands, his parents, wife, and son cheered. His son, who was 25 years old at the time, smiled from ear to ear, proud of what his dad had accomplished. So did his academic advisor, Kimberly Hira, who had supported him from his first class to his final term.
“I don’t think I would have made it through school without her,” Gerard acknowledges. “She checked on me constantly. Always positive. Always pouring into me.”
Commitment has long defined Gerard’s life. After high school, he pursued the trades, took classes at a local community college, got married, and started a family.
He joined a telecommunications company and stayed.
For more than 20 years, he worked as a network installer.
One thing I really like about UAGC, which is why I've recommended it to so many of my peers, is the instructors were a pleasure to work with. Quick to respond. Feedback that wasn’t nitpicky, feedback that made you better. That’s the goal, right? I don’t want to be the best. I just want to be better.
Over time, the company’s name changed, from Sprint to Embarq to CenturyLink to Lumen.
“Same company, different ink,” he said.
The stability of the job mattered. But something lingered in Gerard’s mind, a voice that was incoherent at first. Between full-time work and family responsibilities, school felt like a closed chapter — until a friend decided to reopen hers and urged Gerard to enroll.
“I told her, I’m 45. I’m too old for this,” he says. “But we did it. I took one class, and I loved it.”
Gerard appreciated the structure, pace, and five-week format, which all made it feel manageable for him. But perhaps even more, he valued the change he immediately recognized happening within, while attending UAGC.
“I realized this was what I needed to grow,” he says.
What once seemed unfathomable for Gerard suddenly felt possible.
Courses like Management 440 and Business 119 challenged him at first but quickly became favorites.
He credits the instructors with sharpening his thinking.
“One thing I really like about UAGC, which is why I've recommended it to so many of my peers, is the instructors were a pleasure to work with,” he says. “Quick to respond. Feedback that wasn’t nitpicky, feedback that made you better. That’s the goal, right? I don’t want to be the best. I just want to be better.”
That mindset began to show up at work, and the skills he developed in his program translated directly to his profession.
Growth is your own race. For me, it means not getting comfortable. Why not go for a master’s degree? Why not become a director? Eight years ago, I never would’ve thought like that. Now I ask myself, ‘why not me?’
Gerard spoke differently in meetings. He asked better questions and took more initiative. The change did not go unnoticed.
During his time at UAGC, Gerard earned three promotions in under three years, moving from installer to engineer to supervisor.
“I know the tools I learned at UAGC played a role,” he says. “That learning changed how I show up. Just going through the programs, the learning, everyone who poured into me.”
Turning Notes Into a Book
As Gerard moved through the program, he wrote everything down: class takeaways, leadership lessons, reflections. Sometimes in notebooks. Sometimes on sticky notes. At the time, he didn’t realize he was assembling the early pages of something bigger.
One day in an online discussion forum, a fellow student sent him a message.
“He told me, ‘You figured something out, you should tell people about it,’” Gerard recalls. “At first, I thought, ‘who wants to hear my story?’ But it stuck with me.”
Gerard holding his debut book "Journey of a Growth Mindset"
Just before graduation, that story became his first self-published book, "Journey of a Growth Mindset,” which chronicles his professional evolution and the internal shift that made it possible.
One line from his book reads: “Everything changed dramatically once I embraced the belief that I could grow and evolve.”
The pages of Gerard's book are filled with his experience, his lessons, and actionable steps to lead a life with a growth mindset. He says that his book is for anyone who is feeling lost or stuck, in their personal or professional lives.
“If anyone just wants more out of life, this book is for them,” he says. “I was in the same job for 20 years. And I did not hate the job. I didn't know if I could do more, I didn't know if I could do less, I was just there. So, anybody that feels like they just want more, I think my book can help.”
Why Not Me?
Today, Gerard speaks to students and young professionals, sharing his story and continuing to learn in public — recording and editing his own videos, refining his message as he goes.
“Growth is your own race,” Gerard says. “For me, it means not getting comfortable. Why not go for a master’s degree? Why not become a director? Eight years ago, I never would’ve thought like that. Now I ask myself, ‘why not me?’”
He credits his UAGC experience for giving him the confidence to change his circumstances.
“When I first started school, I thought the degree will validate who I am, and it's the total opposite,” he explains. “I learned so much in getting a degree that it makes me more comfortable in who I am. It's not the title, it's what I learned in the process.”
On Mondays, he records short motivational videos, often closing with the same line: “Stop surviving Mondays and start evolving through them.”
He is transparent about still learning — refining his message, improving his delivery, rewriting goals as he reaches them.
“I don’t have a blueprint,” he admits. “I’m just showing the process. Learning, understanding, improving.”
The L.U.I. sticky note is still there. Though it may be hidden under gathering dust and a collection of leadership books, it’s a constant reminder of how change started for Gerard.
He is still moving forward, pouring into himself and helping others learn how to do the same. On top of growing further in his current role and working toward his next promotion, Gerard is preparing to embark on a journey toward a master’s degree. He is also hyper focused on public speaking and giving back — sharing the knowledge, experiences, and lessons he’s learned with others. Helping people see what’s possible for themselves has become just as important to Gerard as his own advancement.
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Student success stories should not be interpreted as a promise or guarantee of career advancement or future earnings. The stories shared here represent the outcomes of individual students for illustrative purposes only.