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A projected starter on the defensive line this season,
Nigel Williams
will
graduate in May with a degree in applied economic management. Once his football
career ends, he plans to take the certified financial planner exam and become a
certified financial planner.
Q: What led you to pursue a degree in applied economic management?
NW:
“My freshman year, we had a forum during football camp where we had some
advisors come and explain to us how some past athletes were struggling with losing
their money even though they were signing these big contracts. You saw a lot of them
fall into bankruptcy and lose their money. I thought about the average person and
how they manage their money and how they may not know how to do it. That always
interested me and I thought about how could I help someone and guide them to make
sure they’re making the right decisions with their money.”
Q: Was a career in that field even in your mind before you got to Tech?
NW:
“I knew I wanted to do something in business, but I wasn’t sure exactly what
I wanted to do. My mom is a business teacher at a high school in Richmond and my
dad works in the business field. I knew I wanted to do something in that area, but that
forum definitely helped me focus in on that [financial planning].”
Q: You’ve been doing an internship this summer. Please tell us about that.
NW:
“I’ve been working withMorgan Stanley, theWadsworth Group, out of Roanoke
[Virginia]. It’s a paid internship and I’m working 25 hours a week. They’ve been great
about letting me have a flexible schedule so that I’m not missing summer workouts.
“So far, I’m learning how to build relationships with clients and helping clients
define their needs and life goals. I’m working with the group to help them reach those
goals by using different asset fields to help them build a plan.
“This is my second year with Morgan Stanley and the past two years have definitely
shown me that this is something I could see myself doing. It’s fun to me, just seeing
how different people react to things and how they enjoy the services that the firm
provides. I like giving back and helping people to help their families.”
Q: How have you been able to balance football, workouts, academics,
and your internships?
NW:
“It can be difficult, especially during the season. I remember last fall, between
the meetings and the classwork, it was pretty hard, but it’s definitely worth it. I’m a
student-athlete and I try to be the best I can be at both. I’m just taking it day by day
and trying to be the best at both.”
Q: What do you hope to do in the future?
NW:
“After my football career is over, I see myself preparing and studying for the
CFP exam [certified financial planner] and passing that. I just want to get on track with
people and help them build their relationships with their finances. I want to help them
reach their goals with their lives and their families.”
2016
NIGEL
WILLIAMS
FOOTBALL
Richmond, Virginia
by
Jimmy Robertson