APSU alumnus Larry W. Carroll speaks with students and faculty to share his insight and answer questions. The open discussion took place on April 12 in the trading center near the entrance of the Kimbrough building. Photo by Ryan Seltz | THE ALL STATE.

Renowned Austin Peay State University alumnus Larry W. Carroll, a member of the class of 1976, returned to the Clarksville campus on April 12 from his office in Charlotte, North Carolina. His philanthropy, evident in the Larry W. Carroll Govs Fund and the Larry Carroll Financial Trading Center, has had a lasting impact on the College of Business.

In a testament to his enduring legacy, he held a discussion in the College’s trading room, sharing his insights and experience with students, faculty and members of the Govs Fund.

This discussion would cover topics about leadership, learning, motivation and growing post-graduation. Being held in the trading center near the entrance of the College of Business’s Kimbrough building —a fitting location as the building undergoes renovation. During the conversation, the speaker would be asked many insightful questions about these topics and topics about the markets today.

As his discussion progressed with questions, the topic shifted to an analogy he used within his business and life, which he titled “Eagles and Turkeys.” The analogy was a discussion with the members in attendance about striving for excellence.

Carroll would start this conversation by stating the meaning of his analogy.

“The concept is that within your company and the people that work for you, you need to feed your eagles and starve your turkeys” said Carroll.

Further explaining this analogy, the turkeys are considered mediocre and the eagles are the people who strive for greatness.

He would encourage the students to continue striving for greatness within their studies and, upon graduation, to maintain that relentless pursuit of excellence. Using the analogy of an eagle, he would emphasize the importance of surrounding oneself with others who share that drive, noting that “When a team is made of eagles, they will naturally lift each other up.”

Following this, he would finish his discussion by telling students that no matter their background, they can make a place within this world and that they should value their education but also know, as he would state, “You don’t have to know everything,” “But you’ve got to figure out how to get it right.”

This would be a reminder to students of a message often displayed by the College of Business professors to be “Lifelong Learners,” seeking to learn in everything they do.