David T. Wilburn ’15 says that he “wouldn’t have ever been involved with Shenandoah University,” if he hadn’t been a part of the Leadership and Mentoring Program (LAMP) at Shenandoah University and had made a strong connection with Associate Vice President for Student Leadership Development Fritz Polite, Ph.D.
Now a financial advisor for Equitable Advisors, Wilburn says that the courses he took as a sports industry major at the School of Business “provided the infrastructure to piece together my industry.” Such courses included macroeconomics, microeconomics, international economics, accounting, finance, business policy and strategy and quantitative methods. He also credits both his experiences at Shenandoah for providing him the framework with how to maneuver in a professional setting and work around red tape.
Wilburn pursued his line of work because of the racial wealth gap. His fondest moments so far in his career include “helping someone fully retire, eliminating $150,000 worth of student loan debt for a household and doing investment workshops for middle school students.”
He hopes to continue making an impact as a member of the Shenandoah Alumni Board and as treasurer of the Shenandoah University Black Alumni Network by offering a “raw and unfiltered perspective on the university’s progress and its connection with students, faculty and those in the black community.” Wilburn also hopes to give students access to a perspective “beyond the small school point of view.” He looks forward to supporting the university’s Diversity & Inclusion scholarship in order to put dollars in the pockets of those who need it the most.