Graduating Senior Finds Connection, Career in Community
David Byrd felt at home in multiple communities at the College, and each community helped him grow and excel. He is graduating as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Scholarship, Leadership and Service and with a job as an analyst at Dimensional Fund Advisors.
When David Byrd ’26 learned he received the Presidential Award for Scholarship, Leadership and Service, the highest and most selective honor a graduating student can receive, and would be speaking at commencement, he felt truly humbled. For him, everything he accomplished and experienced at the College resulted from the support and guidance he received from the CofC community.
The College of Charleston came onto Byrd’s radar when his friend’s brother, Lucas Moyon ’23, sold him on the university’s Honors College. Byrd applied – in fact, he only applied to the College – and was accepted into the Honors College.
During the Honors College interview weekend, Byrd met Lancie Affonso ’96 (M.S. ’08), Honors College faculty fellow, E-LLC director and senior instructor of computer science, management and marketing. Affonso encouraged him to join the Entrepreneurship Living-Learning Community and mentioned the 1967 Legacy Program.
Thanks to the scholarships he received, namely the 1967 Legacy Scholarship, the Watt Family Endowed Scholarship, the Swanson Family Endowed Scholarship and CofC Fund Scholarships, Byrd had the flexibility to take advantage of the many opportunities that came his way.
Finding Community
Through the E-LLC, Byrd developed his soft skills and connected with his classmates, but it was through the 1967 Legacy Program that he found a special kind of community.
“The 1967 Legacy Program was unlike anything I had experienced before,” says the Rock Hill, South Carolina, native. “It was an instant community. While we had a diverse makeup of people, we all shared an interest in the culture and history that the program offered.”
Byrd found another valuable resource through the program: Valerie Frazier ’91 (M.P.A. ’94), associate professor of English and director of the program.
“Dr. Frazier puts a lot of effort into everything she does,” says Byrd. “For the 1967 First Year Experience, she provided an impactful class about Charleston’s history, local pioneers and the larger community. She was very hands-on with our research projects; my freshman EXPO poster was on racial equity in housing on the peninsula.”
Byrd also appreciates the many cultural experiences Frazier presented, from various cultural performances at the Charleston Gaillard Center to Gullah Geechee culinary experiences.
“Everything Dr. Frazier did was intentionally curated to give us more insight to the history here,” he says.
Creating Community
His sophomore year, Byrd researched what belonging and inclusion means in the School of Business with the goal of creating a culture catering to students from any walk of life. After hearing Byrd’s concept, Affonso recommended he participate in the National Diversity Case Competition at the University of Indiana Kelley School of Business.
Byrd and his team applied and were accepted into the competition, where they networked with large firms and students from other universities. Presenters were put into brackets and competed to advance toward a final round. Given that it was his first time at such a competition, Byrd was thrilled that his team was named the runner-up for their bracket.
Back on campus, with the help of Affonso and Josette Pelzer, associate professor of accounting and business law, Byrd established Belonging in Business, a student-led initiative to enhance student success and a feeling of belonging for all students within the School of Business.
An Eagle Scout, Byrd also joined the Sigma Nu fraternity and became part of the Interfraternity Council. The friendships he developed within Sigma Nu and IFC played an important role in his personal development and continued his dedication to community service.
“I organized ‘How to Tie a Tie’ with Meeting Street Academy, where we taught boy-to-man etiquette,” says Byrd. “It is just one example of the impactful events we held, and we couldn’t have done it without our IFC advisor, Virginia Felton. She puts so much effort into her job and stands behind us.”
Community Connections
The 1967 Legacy Program requires a senior capstone project. Frazier recommended Byrd and his cohort focus on the campus’s hidden histories. He worked with Julia Eichelberger, director of the College of Charleston Southern Studies Program and the Marybelle Higgins Howe Professor of Southern Literature, to give students the opportunity to interpret sites on tours that told hidden histories around campus. Some of his favorite site interpretations include the history of enslaved labor and African American leaders who played a crucial role in constructing some the College’s most important landmarks.
Byrd reached out to Ron Thompson, one of the 1967 Legacy Program donors, for help finding an internship. Through Thompson’s connections, Byrd obtained a wealth management internship with Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA).
“I had no idea Dr. Thompson had been chairman of the board of TIAA,” says Byrd, who secured a 10-week structured internship in Charlotte. “The experience has compounded over time. The TIAA name on my résumé helped me get another key internship going into my senior year.”
Byrd next interned with Dimensional Fund Advisors on their institutional team. He enjoyed the company’s people, culture and connection to financial science; the feeling was mutual. After graduation, Byrd will join the company as an analyst for the global client group.
Community Investment
Within the School of Business, Byrd, a finance major, joined the Investment Program, where he and other students manage public equities and invest in the private assets through the Charleston Angel Partners network. On top of investing, Byrd particularly enjoyed the firm days, where the team would receive a case study from an outside investment firm and then present their findings and recommendations. As part of the Investment Program, he enjoyed a trip to New York City and toured Wall Street.
“Getting to visit the finance hub of everything was incredible,” says Byrd.
Byrd’s bachelor essay, a requirement for all Honors College students, ties nicely with his future career. With his advisors, Luqi Xu and Xiao Hu Guo, both assistant professors of finance, he pitched an idea he developed based on his mentor, Joanne Hill’s presentation on leveraged exchange rate funds.
“Drs. Xu and Guo were really supportive and were actively involved in the project,” says Byrd. “The project demonstrated how important mentors are. Having people willing to invest in you and give you opportunities outside your comfort zone is invaluable. I don’t know what I would do without all of these individuals.
“I am leaving Charleston feeling accomplished and ready for what’s ahead,” adds Byrd, who plans to pursue an online master of economics while he is working. “I am grateful to all the people who played such a large part in my success at the College, and I look forward to helping future students.”
