Boon Elliott
University of Georgia, Terry College of Business
“I’m a musician, chef, crossfitter, and improving golfer, who’s optimistic, lucky, loved, and a little goofy!”
Fun fact about yourself: On awards day in high school, I won the Senior Art Award. Most had no idea that I had a love for art. My mom, who is an artist and was an art teacher, taught me all about different artists and showed me how to express my creativity through two-dimensional art (my favorite).
Hometown: Chattanooga, Tennessee
High School: McCallie School
Major: Finance
Favorite Business Course: Derivative Security Markets. This class was probably the most challenging I’ve had at UGA, but also my favorite. Financial instruments like derivatives, swaps, options, and forwards are so eye-opening because they are proof of the creativity in finance. This class was definitely a new way of thinking, and I am better off for it!
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
- Chi Phi Fraternity (Risk Manager, President)
- Vic Pryles Memorial Scholarship recipient
- Student researcher, Terry Opportunities for Undergraduate Research (TOUR) Program
- UGA Study Abroad in Innsbruck, Austria
- QPR Institute suicide prevention instructor
- UGA Kennedy Program member
- Blue Room Band lead singer and guitarist
- Life Preserver Organization, AED initiative founder and member
Where have you interned during your college career?
I had an internship with Kenco Group in Chattanooga, Tennessee, from May – June 2024 before my study abroad. As a finance and accounting intern, I shadowed and supported many different roles within the logistics company.
I also interned with Infinity Funds/Infinity Capital Partners LLC in Atlanta, Georgia, Summer 2025. I worked as a summer analyst. Infinity has three verticals: hedge fund of funds, Section 8 private equity funds, and a private credit/commercial lending fund. All were so interesting to learn about and support, and I enjoyed my first taste of working and living in a new city on my own.
Where will you be working after graduation? I will be an investment banking analyst at Burke Stelling Group in Atlanta. I am so grateful and excited for the opportunity to get started!
Who is your favorite business professor? Hands down, Dr. Johannes Kohler. I’ve never met someone so smart and so passionate about the markets, and someone so motivated to instill that same passion in his students. Dr. Kohler is also the faculty advisor for the Student Managed Investment Fund and the Corsair Society, two of the most prominent student organizations at Terry.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? That business is everywhere, all the time. When people think of business, they may think of a storefront or a corporation. What I have come to realize is that the term “business” is all-encompassing. The processes and relationships that link all of us come back to the idea of what a business is. This has helped me gain a more holistic understanding of the subject and expanded my perspective of the world around me.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Picking up from my previous answer, I would tell any aspiring student to think about how business applies and where it shows up in our everyday lives. This will help make classes more applicable to real life and get your creative juices flowing without you even noticing.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? Start early! If there is a topic that interests you, don’t be afraid to seek out people and businesses that can teach you more. It puts your curriculum into practical use and will open so many doors down the road. Of all the employers and business owners I’ve talked to, they value a genuine interest in their business and industry from candidates more than anything. Give in to your curiosity, because you never know the great things it may lead to.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? What I’ve seen from professors at UGA is the adoption of AI as a future way of life. They all recognize AI’s ability to think, create efficiency, and solve problems. Instead of prohibiting its use, they encourage us to explore a technology that will be part of our lives forever. Their encouragement comes with a reminder that though AI is powerful, it will never have the authenticity we have as humans. The Terry faculty do a great job of helping us navigate this new technology in a safe environment.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? In my freshman and sophomore years, I led an initiative to install AEDs [Automated External Defibrillators] in Greek houses on campus. Though it was an incredible accomplishment for all involved, the end result isn’t why I’m most proud. At the start, it took about four or five rounds of trial-and-error to find a plan that would be simple enough to scale through the entire Greek system, formal enough for the university to be involved, and one that would keep the mission at the center of importance. It took almost two years, but I am so grateful for the work done and proud of myself for sticking with it.
Which classmate do you most admire? Without a doubt, John Neely. Everyone has that friend who does it all, and does it all well. For me and everyone I know, John is that guy. He is the Student Government Association president; a part more councils and clubs than I can count; has a great job and career lined up; and somehow does it all while maintaining his perfectly styled blonde hair! Seriously, though, John’s involvement and achievement – though impressive – is not why I admire him. I admire him because, through it all, he has maintained his friendships and social life, helped people feel encouraged and worthy, and kept his faith as a priority.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My grandfather, Dr. William F. Johnson II. It’s hard to imagine who I’d be without him. He is a man of grit, compassion, service, leadership, and craftsmanship. He is a man of a forgotten time, a man who never stops learning, and someone who has created – alongside my grandmother – an amazing family of 15. He is an inspiration for the man I want to be. He has shown me more life skills than any course I’ve taken, and he leads with more humility than anyone I know. I could go on and on, but I credit my success to the man he has inspired me to be.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? Start my own business, and find a way to give back alongside my friends and family. First, I have always wanted to start my own business. I love the idea of solving a problem and creating something from the ground up. Second, all the people I have been positively impacted by have one thing in common: they are friends with people who do the same. To them, they get to blend two things they love – friends and service – into one. What better way to serve others than to serve alongside your best friends?
What made Boon such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?
“Boon Elliott is the kind of student every university hopes to claim as its own, and the University of Georgia is immeasurably better because of him. In my work with students, I have rarely encountered someone who embodies such a rare blend of brilliance and humility. Boon is energetic and a little quirky in the most endearing way, but beneath that warmth is a deeply thoughtful and intentional leader. He is the most supportive friend, consistently showing up for others with both direct honesty and genuine compassion. What makes him truly invaluable, though, is not just his memorable personality; it’s the tangible impact he has on every community he enters. Boon doesn’t simply participate in something or volunteer out of obligation. Instead, he brings people together, challenges others to think more deeply, and leaves spaces kinder and stronger than he found them.”
Carrie Smith
Director of Student Care and Outreach
University of Georgia
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