Robert Smith, president of Slippery Rock University

Robert Smith, president of Slippery Rock University, said his mother gave him many lessons that stuck with him.One of the most important was not to shut off contact with family members, no matter how strained the relationship might be.“You always keep the communications open. Always be ready for any open communication, because you never know when someone’s going to reach back,” Smith said. He said this has helped his family through some rough times.She also left him with a funny lesson. “Just because people don’t understand you doesn’t make you an artist,” Smith said. “Don’t be so big-headed.”He said this has kept him humble in his life.