From an Alumnus

Have you considered that everything we have was someone else’s at one point? No, I don’t mean bought from a secondhand store or passed down like an heirloom or an older sibling’s clothes. Everyday items like your phone and clothes are made of things once utilized for a different purpose. So what changed? Two things: someone saw the materials differently than the purpose they were currently being used for, and someone invested their time, talent and resources to bring to life that which was previously imagined. My life and the life of many other students read the same; we were invested into and now we reinvest.

Though I have my undergraduate degree in finance, my recommendation for the best first investment one could make is in the way one thinks. This can help you in the financial markets as well as in life. Did you know two people can sit outside on a rainy day and only one of them may think to grab an umbrella? Why is that? Most, if not all, people think based on what they understand, and one can gain understanding one of two ways: through experiencing something firsthand, or to hear from one who has experienced something firsthand. Does this not encapsulate the whole experience of higher education? Professors profess about topics they know and understand thoroughly while students hear and experience for themselves through diverse activities like presentations, writing papers, going to conferences or a mountain of homework. Someone invested into the professor as a youth, who then went on to invest into the professor as a student, who then went on to invest in the professor as an associate, and to reinvest all that was invested into them, the professor now gives back to the next generation by rethinking of ways to communicate a topic that they were once ignorant of themselves. Fun fact: every professor was once a student and every student has the potential to come back to the halls of academia to reinvest into future generations by professing their experience of the “real world” or more.

Companies reinvest in themselves by taking a portion of profits and increasing their budget for research, development or hiring. Families reinvest in themselves by taking time off from work and spending it exclusively together without interruptions. We as individuals can reinvest by granting others the opportunity to hear our firsthand experiences or provide the opportunity for others to experience it themselves. While going through the master’s program at UAA, I had the opportunity to go on trips like the Quinnipiac G.A.M.E. Forum as president of the UAA Finance Club thanks to not only the UAA Board of Regents, but also donors who invested in our club. We also had the opportunity to manage a $1 million portfolio thanks to an alumnus who decided giving back in this way would be worth it for students like myself.

I personally have the eye to always find ways to exceed the kindness bestowed upon me by others when given the chance. I would ask that as you progress in life and your career that you would think of students like yourself who grew up on either side of the tracks. Think of ways to reinvest in students who, like yourself, lacked knowledge and experience, and when the opportunity you’re looking for presents itself at a time you are prepared for, execute. Though the idea of giving anything back may currently be a burden or an unlikely circumstance, I can absolutely guarantee it won’t always be like that. So, I speak to the person whom you are destined to become, which you draw closer to every breath and every day.

You join the ranks of many other Seawolves who go off to do wonderful things that not only adorn you in accolades, fame, pay raises, etc., but also elevate the status of UAA as the premier institution for higher education in Alaska. Go forward and do great things, but remember to find a way to reinvest so that students can continue leaving full of knowledge and experiences like you and me.

Mark Anthony Cox, M.B.A. ’23, B.A. ’22, A.A. ’21

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