Even though graduation isn’t until May, Robert Culp already has secured employment with Credit Suisse – Investment Banking Division in New York starting in July. Until then, he plans to enhance the passion for travel he developed when he became involved in UGA’s international education program by traveling to China with friends.
Hometown:
Charlotte, N.C.
High School:
Charlotte Country Day School
Degree objective:
B.S. in Finance
Expected graduation:
Spring 2012
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
Since arriving on campus almost four years ago, I have been fortunate to enjoy some incredible experiences, the most exciting of which was studying abroad in Innsbruck, Austria. On weekends, I traveled to Spain, France, Amsterdam, Germany, Italy, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
In Athens, I am involved with several organizations. Through the certificate program, a part of the Terry College of Business’ Institute for Leadership Development, I led a team of UGA students to design and implement a “Best Life Initiative” for 12-15 year olds at the Boys and Girls Club of Athens. I am also involved in the Clarke County Mentor Program, where I mentor a 10-year-old boy named Derek. He wants to be a NFL wide-receiver.
While I served as the social chairman of my fraternity, we put on a concert that raised money for patients of the Shepherd Spinal Center of Atlanta.
I help manage a portion of UGA’s endowment as a member of the Student Managed Investment Fund and work to develop my public speaking skills through Terry Toastmasters.
Finally, I am a member of the Corsair Society, an investment banking organization, which helped guide me towards two internships last summer with Wells Fargo in New York and Harris Williams & Co. in Richmond. After graduation, I will start work with Credit Suisse – Investment Banking Division in New York.
Family Ties to UGA:
I am the first member of my family to attend UGA. Both of my parents and brother went to UNC. It has not caused much conflict because they care mostly about basketball, and students at UGA are crazy about football.
I chose to attend UGA because…
I wanted to expand my network, get a solid education and have an enjoyable social experience. I knew that going out-of-state would allow me to build friendships and relationships that would supplement those from home. UGA has so many opportunities to get involved, whether it is Greek life, intramural sports or clubs. I was confident it was a place where I could grow. The Honors Program was attractive and the fact that our football team was ranked #1 did not hurt either!
My favorite things to do on campus are…
to play sports. It is fun to get a group of friends together for pick-up basketball at Ramsey. I will never forget beating some of the football players in the Intramural Basketball Championship last year – they were tough.
That is my only intramural championship, so far. I have also played football, kickball, soccer and dodge ball, but to no avail.
When it is nice outside, it is great to play golf.
When I have free time, I like…
to hang out with friends and talk about the entertaining times we have had over the past four years. With only a few months left before entering the “real world,” I try to relish the time I still have. It may be as simple as walking a little slower to class to appreciate North Campus or having a delicious meal outside downtown.
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
decided to live in Charleston with friends after freshmen year without finding a job. This was crazy because it was extremely hard to find a job, and my dad told me I would have to, “come home and still pay rent,” if I didn’t get one. Dejected and in my button-down job hunting outfit, I stopped for lunch at a local diner, Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream and Sandwich Cafe. To my joyous surprise, the owner was a huge Dawgs’ fan and excited for the opportunity to show a young UGA buck hands-on experience about small business. I spent the rest of the summer scooping ice cream and serving BLT’s while thinking “so this is what business is all about.”
My favorite place to study is…
the back left corner of the first floor of the library. That is where most of my friends study. When I am studying hard, I like to be able to take breaks and socialize a little bit.
My favorite professor is…
I love all of my finance and Terry professors equally, so it is hard to say.
However, Matthew Elder taught my most interesting and unique class and pushed me to improve my writing and analytical skills. During my freshmen year holiday break, I received an e-mail saying that my English 1101 class would be focused purely on the Lord of the Rings. At that point, I had not even seen the movies, but by the end of the semester, I had read four of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books. It was an incredible class, and Professor Elder caught my attention when he mentioned at the beginning of the semester that he would give two A’s to our class of 20 students.
I would also like to recognize Terry’s Executive in Residence Earl Leonard, Dr. Julie Wu and Dr. Vikki Clawson for their teaching and mentorship.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
I would have lunch with the late Dale Carnegie, author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” He developed powerful principles on how to be a friendlier person and more effective leader. He researched the lives of great leaders from Julius Caesar to Abraham Lincoln and interviewed a large number of successful people, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Thomas Edison to discover the techniques they used in human relations. I am confident that one of the biggest factors in success is the ability to effectively deal with people, and I could certainly benefit from an afternoon with him.
He said, “Don’t Criticize, Condemn or Complain.” That’s hard to do. Try it!
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
learn several languages and become U.S. Secretary of State. Foreign policy is crucial in the globalizing world in which we live. I would love to be on the front lines, conducting negotiations on some of the biggest problems our nation faces. I would strive to find solutions to obstacles that once caused armed struggle. All the while, I would be learning more about the global political landscape and the enormous number of cultures internationally.
If money was not a consideration, I would love to…
My goals would not be very different. Money was not much of a consideration for David Rockefeller (John D.‘s grandson), and he still earned a Ph.D., was CEO of Chase Manhattan Bank and served in U.S. military intelligence. I would still love to reach my goals to responsibly run a successful business, travel the world and build meaningful relationships.
I once told an annoyed friend that I would stop being cheap once I became rich and she said, “The truth is, you would still be cheap.”
After graduation, I plan to…
travel to Asia with friends. The plans are still in an embryonic stage, but I have saved up money to make it to Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai and Phuket. With a July start date at Credit Suisse, I am trying to make the most of everything while I still can.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
is when the Bulldogs beat the Gators my senior year. It was devastating to lose to the Gators for the first three years of college. Seeing the faces of Florida fans, as we walked out of the stadium, capped-off a full college experience. It was a great last Georgia-Florida trip, complete with slurping oysters, spending time on St. Simon’s beach and tailgating before the game in Jacksonville.