2017 Best & Brightest: Sherman Wilhelm, University of Florida (Warrington)

Sherman Wilhelm

University of Florida, Warrington College of Business

“People say I’m cheesy, but I just try to make “grater” puns.”

Fun fact about yourself: I traveled over 100,000 miles last year

Hometown: Tallahassee, FL

High School: Lincoln High School

Major: Economics and Statistics

Minor: Mathematics and Actuarial Sciences

Favorite Business Courses: Game Theory

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College: Florida Business Leadership Society (Social chair); Student Honors Organization (President, Community Service Event of the Month; Community Service Committee); Florida Leadership Academy (Alumni Relations Director; Mentor; Class XI Recruitment Committee); Business Undergraduate Mentorship Program (Mentor); Warrington Diplomats (Programming committee member); Heavener International Case Team (Financial and Strategic Analyst); Heavener International Case Competition (Logistics Director); Florida Cicerones (Student Ambassador; Presidential Host); Paid Micro- and Macro-Economics Teaching Assistant; Career and Academic Peer Mentor; University Athletic Association (Peer Mentor); Ridgecrest Camps (Summer Counselor); Disaster Relief: Miami, Long Island, Myrtle Beach (Coordinator); Anderson Scholar; Gamma Beta Sigma Honors Society (Member); Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society (Member)

Where have you interned during your college career? Symptoma: Strategic Outreach Intern (Salzburg, Austria); Nielsen: Professional Services Analytics Intern (Boston, MA)

Describe your dream Job: My dream job would be having fun with the people around me as we worked to help improve the lives of others the best we could.

Who is your favorite professor? My favorite professor has been Dr. Thomas Knight, who I’ve taken for Game Theory and Mathematical Economics, as well as worked for as a T.A. for Principles of Macroeconomics. He has not only fanned my interest in economics, but has also taken time to mentor me both academically and professionally.

Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? I most admire Elon Musk for both his dedication to causes he cares about, like environmental issues, as well as his encouragement of innovation. Even as his various companies grow and become more popular as people care more about similar causes, he still finds new paths to search and encourage others to search for new and better solutions to the problems we all face.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? I’ve learned that building communities of people is one of the most important things you can do as a business leader. Whether that be a community of employees or a community of customers, guests, or users, the most impact is had within communities, so any business that wants to have an impact must create communities.

Where would you like to work after graduation? Federal Strategy & Operations Consultant at Deloitte

What are your long-term professional goals? My long-term professional goals include becoming a leader in whichever industry I end up staying in, whether that means a leader at a large firm or starting my own company and growing it.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Put yourself in positions where you have to make decisions, and don’t be afraid to fail sometimes. We learn the most from our failures, and the less motivated you are by fear, the better decisions you tend to make.

“I knew I wanted to major in business when…I read a book on Game Theory and realized how much fun business strategy could be.”

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be…majoring in Chemistry or Materials Science Engineering probably doing pharmaceutical research and applying to grad school.”

“Before I entered business school, I wish I had known…what a planner was. My organizational skills needed some help when I started.”

What was the happiest moment of your life? The happiest moment of my life was when I was accepted to the University of Florida. When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a Gator, so being accepted was not only a huge relief in terms of going to college, but also a dream come true.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I’m most proud of being able to maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout my time in college. Being able to say I stayed organized and disciplined in striving towards a goal that’s taken four years to see to fruition is an extremely rewarding feeling.

What animal would you choose to represent your professional brand? I would choose a stag because it represents wisdom, high quality and strength.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would want to most thank my parents because of all the support and encouragement they’ve given me over the years. They taught me discipline, how to work hard for goals that are important, and how to treat others well. Without their constant support and guidance, I wouldn’t have had all the opportunities I’ve been afforded throughout college.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I want people to say that I worked hard, not for myself, but for others. We’re remembered not for what we do, but for who and what we leave behind, and I hope that people say I left the college and everyone in it better than when I started.

Favorite book: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Favorite movie: Inception

Favorite musical performer: Justin Timberlake

Favorite vacation spot: Asheville, NC

What are your hobbies? Hiking, Hammocking, Ultimate Frisbee, Watching Movies

What made Sherman such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2017?

“I have known Sherman for three years now, and I am constantly amazed at how he juggles leadership and involvement, a dual major – economics and statistics, and a minor in actuarial sciences. By the way, he has a perfect 4.0 GPA! Sherman is a graduate of the Florida Leadership Academy (FLA), a year-long leadership and career development program for the top 100 sophomores in our college. Sherman then served as a mentor to 10 FLA students in his junior year. Currently, as a senior, Sherman serves as the Director of Alumni Relations on the FLA Advisory Board. Additionally, Sherman is a Florida Cicerone, an official ambassador of the University of Florida. Sherman is a valued member of the UF-Heavener International Case Competition Team, serving as a financial analyst and strategist. He is also the Director of Case Logistics for the annual Heavener International case Competition, coordinating the judges and the specifics of the actual competition which features participants from top business schools from around the world. Sherman is an amazing student leader.”

Horace S. Tucker, MA, GCDF
Associate Director, Heavener School of Business
Warrington College of Business
University of Florida

 

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