Being challenged by the academics and faculty at Southwest Baptist University was important in Aaron Sloan finding his calling as a financial planner.
“The academics at SBU helped me to develop good critical-thinking skills,” said Aaron ’16, who earned his bachelor of science degrees in economics/finance and international business. “It allowed me to grow mentally and spiritually in a way that was challenging, and which pushed me to seek a career that I could be both successful in and have the ability to help a lot of people.
“The faculty push you to work hard and be better; to look at things and begin to make more informed decisions. They also taught me to seek truth. They walk alongside you through your studies and continue to do so. They are there for support and encouragement as you grow and develop into a new professional.”
That push to be better also inspired Aaron to return to SBU to complete his master of business administration in 2017.
“I’ve grown my own financial planning firm,” Aaron said. “I’ve passed multiple insurance and investments licensing tests, and I still keep in touch with professors and old friends, both of which have become clients and even better friends.”
Another key to Aaron’s success as a student, and now as a financial planner, was getting involved on campus.
“I worked with the President’s Office as an Ambassador, putting on various events,” Aaron said. “I also worked as a tour guide and got to showcase a place I love. Both of these areas helped me learn how to better communicate and work with people, which can often be difficult skills to develop.”
Aaron says he is thankful for the value his SBU education provided him, both through financial aid and the connections he made.
“There are a lot of scholarships and financial aid that SBU offers and continues to grow,” Aaron said. “I’m thankful for those who freely give to help students who need that extra help in order to set them on track for a future career.
“The value that I found at SBU was also a sense of belonging, of knowing I was exactly where God wanted me to be, and of knowing that I was in a place that would shape and mold me into the Christian professional that I wanted to be.”
And, for Aaron, it’s the faculty and staff who make SBU unique.
“The faculty and staff are the baseline of the community that has formed at Southwest Baptist University,” Aaron said. “This community makes so many students fall in love with the school.”