Jake Williams ’23
Why did you choose Bryant?
We’re top ranked in business, top ranked in athletics, and in the top 1% for ROI, but we’re also so much more. Sometimes people call Bryant a hidden gem. I think it should be recognized as the gold standard for higher education.
How would you describe the Bryant community?
We all have our different friend groups, but we’re all growing and learning together and from one another — and all of us together are better than we are apart.
You led Bryant’s Archway Investment Fund, a $2.3 million student-run investment portfolio. How did that experience help you?
It’s about taking what you’re learning in the classroom and turning it into real, meaningful decisions about money. That experience helped me land my job as an investment analyst with John Hancock/Manulife.
What was it like being captain of the swim team and winning two conference championships?
We travel together, we train together, and we compete together; it’s like a brotherhood, and they become some of your closest friends. You know you have to do your best for the people next to you, and you do your best to motivate them as well. There’s no better feeling than to have that ring slide on your finger, surrounded by teammates and representing the Bryant Bulldogs.
A Connected Community
Bryant's purposeful student life delivers co-curricular immersion with an inspiring, collegial community. Students forge deep connections that last a lifetime.
“I really feel like Bryant prepared me for the next chapter of my life. Bryant has given me the tools and resources I need to get internships at a professional level. As a student, I was able to complete three different internships at three different companies.”
“Through all of my experiences at Bryant — working in the lab, being part of the Honors Program, my leadership positions — I became much more confident, and that really changed me for the better."
“I organized lots of fundraisers back home, and when I took my first project management class, I realized everything I’ve been doing to run those is actually a career. It’s something I love and have been doing all along.”