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.