George Eric Rudebusch
College of William and Mary, Mason School of Business
Hometown: Springfield, Virginia
High School: Lake Braddock Secondary School
Major: Philosophy, Finance
Favorite Business Courses: Money & Debt Markets
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Extracurricular Activities / Leadership: Chair, Conduct Honor Advisor Program (2013–current); President, The Howard J. Busbee Finance Academy (2012–current); Committee member, Honor System Advisory Committee (2015–current); Tour guide, The College of William & Mary (2013–current); Brother, Beta Theta Pi Fraternity (2012–current); Student Representative, Business Innovation Steering Committee (2013–2014); Head of Alumni Relations, Student Assembly (2014–2015); Undersecretary of Finance, Student Assembly (2013–2014); Vice President of Programming, Development Ambassadors (2012–2014)
Community Work: Volunteer, Hilary Clinton Presidential Campaign (2015–current); Volunteer, Bridges to Community / Branch Out International (2015–current); Site Leader / Trip Leader, Bridges to Community / Branch Out International (2012–current); Volunteer, Barack Obama Presidential Campaign (2012)
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society; Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society; Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society; James Monroe Scholarship; Dean’s List
Where have you interned during your college career?
- Summer Analyst (Summer 2015), Mergers & Acquisitions, Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc., New York, NY
- Research and Policy Assistant (Spring 2015), Office of David Melding, Assembly Member and Deputy Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Spring Intern (Spring 2015), Slingshot Insights, New York, NY (remotely)
- Undergraduate Fellow (Summer 2014), The Boehly Center for Excellence in Finance, Williamsburg, VA
- Summer Intern (Summer 2013), Global Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley, Alexandria, VA
Describe your dream job: My dream job is to become a public servant. I value few things more than community. Further, I am tremendously fortunate for all that my community has afforded me. My dream is to reciprocate and devote my life to giving back to this great nation as much as I can.
What did you enjoy most about majoring in a business-related field? What I appreciate most about finance is its marriage of practicality with abstraction. Unsurprisingly, as a Philosophy double major, I am an abstract thinker. I love theory. Finance serves me a healthy dose of equations, theories and formulae to satisfy this aspect of my personality. But, what I also love about the subject is its practicality, its utility. Not a day goes by where I do not apply something I have learned in a finance course, whether it is reading the Financial Times or chatting with friends.
Where would you like to work after graduation? Unfortunately, I am an atypical business student: I do not want to enter the labor force after graduation. Instead, I am plan to further my education—ideally public policy programs or law school.
What are your long-term professional goals? I think it is important to have direction, without putting the blinders on. I have two long-term goals: serve my community and leave an impact on others. Like Musk, I do not like to waste time. Life is a gift. It is a one-off opportunity that I want to leverage to its fullest. For me, this is building a better society than the one into which I was born.
“I knew I wanted to major in business when…I was a sophomore in high school. I remember reading about the Financial Crisis, and I simply became hooked. I could not stop reading about finance and economics. By the end of that year, I knew that I wanted to major in finance in college.”
“If I didn’t major in business, I would be…an economics major.”
What was the happiest moment of your life? That’s tough…I have a very positive disposition, and I would say I am very happy most of the time. But there really is not one moment that stands out among others as the happiest of my life.
Which academic or personal achievement are you most proud of? Honestly, there is not one. My general mindset is do not dwell on past accomplishments: there is always more to achieve. In a way, I think such a mindset helps me avoid complacency and keeps me motivated.
What animal would you choose to represent your professional brand? I would choose a wolf. Wolves are leaders and powerful. They are also intellectually and emotionally smart. Importantly, too, they project an air of mystery. It never hurts to keep your cards close.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my parents. As much as this flouts scientific consensus (and everything I have led the two of them believe), my parents really have had an enormous—indeed, integral—impact on my development. I honestly believe I would not be who and where I am today without their guidance.
Fun fact about yourself: My first kiss was a giraffe when I was twelve years old visiting my cousin living in Kenya.
Favorite book: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace—the Hamlet of 21st-century Americana.
Favorite movie: My friends would roll their eyes if they knew I answered this: Chinatown. Polanski is a genius; Nicholson, brilliant.
Favorite musical performer: I am my mother’s son: Bob Marley without a doubt. I think if you listen to enough reggae growing up, the grove becomes permanently engrained into your being.
Favorite vacation spot: We have a beach house in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Nothing beats a weekend’s retreat to the beach, with good company, fresh seafood and ocean air.
What are your hobbies? Three things come immediately to mind: exercise, reading and good conversation. An ideal day is an early morning workout, followed by several hours of reading and evening socializing with friends. Now, that’s the good life!
What made George such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2016?
“Unfortunately, in just a few words, I cannot adequately capture George’s numerous contributions to the College nor his impact on his peers. George Rudebusch is simply extraordinary. A double major in philosophy and finance, he is a true scholar that during his time at William and Mary has left a significant mark on the College. George is a natural born leader with a remarkable ability to relate to all types of people and an innate desire to help others. His commitment to service is evident in his involvement and leadership in service trips, his varied chosen extracurricular activities, and how he conducts himself day by day. As the President of one of our college’s leading student organizations, the Howard J. Busbee Finance Academy, George makes a difference by organizing high profile finance events for students to help them hone their professional skills and discover their interests. While continuously working on large-scale events, he also takes the time to interact one-on-one with students to help them achieve their personal goals. In addition, as our first Undergraduate Boehly Center Fellow, George has been developing a new online excel modeling course for undergraduates interested in real estate and is planning to organize an undergraduate research colloquium. Both endeavors will significantly help his current classmates, as well as students well into the future. These are just a few of his many accomplishments that make him an invaluable addition to the Class of 2016.”
Dr. Julie Agnew
Associate Professor of Finance and Economics
Director of the Boehly Center for Excellence in Finance
College of William and Mary
“I have rarely encountered an undergraduate with George’s combination of intellectual curiosity and desire to serve. Through his active engagement both on and off campus, he has left a legacy of service to the community. George’s deep intellectual curiosity is coupled with a phenomenal ability to absorb, analyze and synthesize diverse material.”
Rita Murphy
Associate Director
Boehly Center for Excellence in Finance
College of William and Mary
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