Equipped with a well-rounded Gettysburg College education and support from the strong and expansive Gettysburg Network, Will Durham ’21 and Kaitlyn McCrudden ’17, alongside many other Gettysburgians—including Kevin Benavente ’20—launched their careers in the financial sector at global investment management firm T. Rowe Price.
Durham, a recent graduate who majored in mathematical economics landed an investment fellow position at T. Rowe Price after networking with Benavente, who joined T. Rowe Price in 2020, also as a mathematical economics major and investment fellow, now a qualitative analyst.
“There is very strong brand recognition for Gettysburg College here at T. Rowe Price and our graduates have developed a great reputation for the school at the company,” Durham said. “Connecting with Gettysburg graduates out in the real world, especially at T. Rowe [Price], is [common].”
As an investment fellow, Durham is receiving robust training and experience in trading analysis, research support, and market intelligence. His studies and experiences at Gettysburg helped him advance his critical thinking skills, which have proven useful every day in the financial sector, where problem-solving and quantitative skills are highly rewarded.
“Because I majored in mathematical economics and minored in mathematics and music, my quantitative skills were well-developed well before I arrived at the company,” Durham said.
McCrudden, like Durham, also learned about T. Rowe Price through a Gettysburg connection—Economics Prof. Drew Murphy ’85, P ’20, who spent parts of his early career at the global investment firm. Motivated by Murphy after enrolling in his finance courses, McCrudden applied for jobs in the finance industry, later developing an interest in breaking barriers in a field where women are still underrepresented.
Upon graduating in 2017, McCrudden was offered a position as a retail investment services associate at T. Rowe Price, an opportunity made known to her by her Chi Omega sorority sisters, who also worked there.
“They were extremely helpful in deciding what role to apply for and preparing me for my interview,” McCrudden said.
She has remained with the management firm for the last four and a half years, progressing to her current position as a client relationship coordinator, where she is responsible for servicing the accounts of the company’s high-net-worth investors.
“My Gettysburg experience has helped me be constantly curious and questioning,” McCrudden said, noting the valuable skills she carries with her in all of her professional and personal endeavors. She credits Gettysburg’s strong academic foundation, the powerful network at play, and her studies—all of which remain principal in her life today as each helped shape her and her career path for the better.
By Ericka Gardner ’22
Photos by Miranda Harple
Posted: 01/18/22
