Lester Ricks
“Monroe helped me look at things from a different perspective and gave me the confidence to keep growing.”
The last time Lester Ricks attended school was in 1986. Nearly four decades later, he returned to the classroom at Monroe University to pursue a degree in Hospitality Management and Human Resources.
Ricks chose his major after working in hospitality for more than 20 years and deciding he wanted to transition into management. He chose Monroe after a military advisor recommended it as a top school in the Bronx for veterans. As a Bronx resident and military veteran, Monroe was a natural fit.
Returning to school after so many years wasn’t easy. Despite his extensive hospitality experience, Ricks found himself navigating unfamiliar subjects, technology, and terminology.
“A lot of the courses I had to take, I had no earthly clue what I was doing,” Ricks said. “But the professors were very good at helping me navigate and explaining things to me.”
Today, Ricks is the proud owner of two restaurants and is working toward acquiring a third, along with two food trucks. He credits part of his success to the knowledge and foundation he built at Monroe, where he learned to approach real-world situations with an open mind and a new perspective.
“The older you get, the more you get stuck in your ways and don’t want to adjust. But Monroe helped me look at things from a different perspective,” Ricks said.
With support from Monroe’s professors and faculty, Ricks successfully returned to school after nearly four decades away from the classroom. The knowledge and new perspectives he gained continue to influence how he approaches his career and growing businesses today.