SectionsTeen heartthrob turned teacher
Education priority for former recording artist
Bridget Rapp
Issue date: 10/20/09 Section: Features
Education before Rock N' Roll
In spite of this sudden fame, Luke remained in school and never got off track because of a strong influence from his parents and their belief in a good education.
Luke said his parents asked him to do two things: to never embarrass them and to get a college education.
"I kept hearing my parent's voice saying 'get a good college education,'" Luke said. "And what I learned over time was that I love to learn."
Luke's passion of learning can be seen by his academic accomplishments. Luke's first degrees were in psychology and biology from Pepperdine University. Next, Luke transferred to the University of Missouri-Columbia and got a Master's in business administration and a Ph. D. in marketing and institutional management.
Pursuing a passion for learning
However, before Luke decided to get his Ph.D., he said he didn't realize that his true passion was learning.
"Two professors at the University of Missouri-Columbia had to tell me to my face before I really understood it," Luke said, "because I was thinking about going back to Hollywood after my MBA because I had been promised that I would be the president of a recording studio within three years."
As tempting as it was, Luke didn't go to Hollywood because the professors from University of Missouri-Columbia asked if he wanted to go on for a Ph.D.
"And I remember saying 'why would I want to be like you?'" Luke said. "Their comeback to that question changed my life."
The professors responded to Luke by telling him that they knew something he didn't. They knew that Luke loved to learn.
"I am deeply indebted to Dr. Donald Shaver and Don Webb," Luke said. "That one evening changed my life in the world of academia, and I go to school everyday."
In spite of this sudden fame, Luke remained in school and never got off track because of a strong influence from his parents and their belief in a good education.
Luke said his parents asked him to do two things: to never embarrass them and to get a college education.
"I kept hearing my parent's voice saying 'get a good college education,'" Luke said. "And what I learned over time was that I love to learn."
Luke's passion of learning can be seen by his academic accomplishments. Luke's first degrees were in psychology and biology from Pepperdine University. Next, Luke transferred to the University of Missouri-Columbia and got a Master's in business administration and a Ph. D. in marketing and institutional management.
Pursuing a passion for learning
However, before Luke decided to get his Ph.D., he said he didn't realize that his true passion was learning.
"Two professors at the University of Missouri-Columbia had to tell me to my face before I really understood it," Luke said, "because I was thinking about going back to Hollywood after my MBA because I had been promised that I would be the president of a recording studio within three years."
As tempting as it was, Luke didn't go to Hollywood because the professors from University of Missouri-Columbia asked if he wanted to go on for a Ph.D.
"And I remember saying 'why would I want to be like you?'" Luke said. "Their comeback to that question changed my life."
The professors responded to Luke by telling him that they knew something he didn't. They knew that Luke loved to learn.
"I am deeply indebted to Dr. Donald Shaver and Don Webb," Luke said. "That one evening changed my life in the world of academia, and I go to school everyday."
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