Starting a New Chapter in 2023: Bleeding Blue for GSU

I’m excited to announce that I was recently nominated and selected to join the Board of Trustees at Georgia State University. Starting this year, I’ll be the youngest on the board and one of the youngest in school history. It’s an incredible honor, but more importantly, it’s another opportunity to serve. God is good. ????

Georgia State University (GSU) is a public research university founded in 1913 and based in and around Atlanta, GA. The institution is the largest university in Georgia and the 7th largest school in the country by enrollment, with over 52,000 students across its undergraduate and graduate programs. The passionate faculty and dedicated staff teach thousands of students about the ins and outs of their fields and assist students in building a bridge to the unknown through internships, community service trips, and study abroad experiences (1).?

While on campus, I met students without doctors in their families that wanted to get on the path to wearing a white coat one day. There were students like myself who had never heard about Wall Street but got introduced to the incredible world of valuation and capital allocation. Students went into the arts, public service, and many other rewarding fields of work, but the one thing that bound us together was our sense of purpose. College was more than just something to mark off the list. It was an experience we could use to unlock life changing opportunities for ourselves and our families.??

Like so many students attending today, Georgia State was my bridge to a better life and a fuller American Dream. From my “Intro to Financial Derivatives” course taught by a professor who worked on the floor of the CBOE to the lovely folks in the Office of Community Service who took us on Spring Break trips to New Orleans to build houses and tutor kids after Hurricane Katrina. GSU greatly expanded my world mentally and physically, and I made numerous friends from all walks of life.

Like so many students attending today, Georgia State was my bridge to a better life and a fuller American Dream.

My story isn’t unique at Georgia State. The institution and public universities like it are transformative for all students, especially those from working-class backgrounds looking for a best-in-class education at a more accessible price. Many of us were first-generation college students working through school to build enough skills and resources to help our families and communities. Fortunately for me and many others, our university was (and still is) one of the best schools in the country at building young leaders from all backgrounds (2). Georgia State provides an onramp to the middle class no matter where you come from.?

I’m reminded of this every time I speak with students. Each year, they get better and better, and I’m proud to see how far the university has come since I graduated. Our students represent the best of the American spirit: the deep hunger to lead and achieve paired with the understanding that there is a responsibility, an obligation even, to give back. They inspire me and other alums to find ways to assist them along their journeys through our time and resources. I’ve been lucky enough to give back in many different ways (3), which is why I’m excited to embark on this new chapter.

I bleed blue for GSU, and I'm excited to listen, learn and get to work for the students. #thestateway #boardservice #education

Notes:

(1) Ranked the No. 1 public university in the U.S. for an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching (tied) and ranked the No. 2 most innovative university in the U.S. by U.S. News and World Report (2023)

(2) Ranked No. 40 (out of 1,320 U.S. institutions) for economic mobility by Third Way (2022)

(3) My good friend Kyle Stapleton and I crowdfunded an endowment for first-generation college students at GSU back in 2017. Click here and here to learn more.