Andrew Harrison was born and raised in Rochester, New York.   As a young businessman, he was a rising star in the sales field.   He met his career goals early in life, enjoying a six-figure salary while working from his skyline-view apartment in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina.   But something was wrong.   He had accomplished all that he originally set out to achieve—earning a lot of money and having the time to spend it—yet happiness and fulfillment eluded him.   Increasingly, he realized that he lacked purpose and passion for his work.      

After months of wrestling with this dilemma, Andrew finally settled on a radical solution.   He ditched his successful career, loaded a car, and set out on a cross-country quest to learn from people who had found passion in their careers and their lives.   He submitted his resignation on April 1 and set out on his journey on April 6, 2004.   That journey has since covered more than 30,000 miles and resulted in over 100 personal conversations, including interviews with a NASA astronaut, the chief justice of a state supreme court, a US Navy captain, the former head of marketing for Hallmark, a Harvard-educated lawyer turned sports columnist, and a maintenance man with a degree in aerospace engineering—to mention only a few.      

Mr. Harrison’s quest has been featured on the front page of the Charlotte Observer and in the Miami Herald, as well as other regional newspapers.   His book, I Am on the Road:   A Journey for Passion and Purpose is now near completion.   He recently told his story in an article entitled "The Seeker" that was published in the September/ October 2005 issue of Worthwhile Magazine.  "I knew people who were fervent and excited about what they did," he wrote.   "I wanted what they had: Passion!   I decided I was not going to wait for the answers to fall from the sky."      

Andrew Harrison will tell his story in person at the next presentation of the Catawba College Community Forum.   This event is co-sponsored by the Lilly Center for Vocation and Values.   Join us at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 in Tom Smith Auditorium of Ralph W. Ketner Hall on the campus of Catawba College to find out what Mr. Harrison has learned in his year and a half on the road.   As always, there is no admission charge.

Andrew Harrison was born and raised in Rochester, New York.   As a young businessman, he was a rising star in the sales field.   He met his career goals early in life, enjoying a six-figure salary while working from his skyline-view apartment in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina.   But something was wrong.   He had accomplished all that he originally set out to achieve—earning a lot of money and having the time to spend it—yet happiness and fulfillment eluded him.   Increasingly, he realized that he lacked purpose and passion for his work.      

After months of wrestling with this dilemma, Andrew finally settled on a radical solution.   He ditched his successful career, loaded a car, and set out on a cross-country quest to learn from people who had found passion in their careers and their lives.   He submitted his resignation on April 1 and set out on his journey on April 6, 2004.   That journey has since covered more than 30,000 miles and resulted in over 100 personal conversations, including interviews with a NASA astronaut, the chief justice of a state supreme court, a US Navy captain, the former head of marketing for Hallmark, a Harvard-educated lawyer turned sports columnist, and a maintenance man with a degree in aerospace engineering—to mention only a few.      

Mr. Harrison’s quest has been featured on the front page of the Charlotte Observer and in the Miami Herald, as well as other regional newspapers.   His book, I Am on the Road:   A Journey for Passion and Purpose is now near completion.   He recently told his story in an article entitled "The Seeker" that was published in the September/ October 2005 issue of Worthwhile Magazine.  "I knew people who were fervent and excited about what they did," he wrote.   "I wanted what they had: Passion!   I decided I was not going to wait for the answers to fall from the sky."      

Andrew Harrison will tell his story in person at the next presentation of the Catawba College Community Forum.   This event is co-sponsored by the Lilly Center for Vocation and Values.   Join us at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 in Tom Smith Auditorium of Ralph W. Ketner Hall on the campus of Catawba College to find out what Mr. Harrison has learned in his year and a half on the road.   As always, there is no admission charge.