BARRY ALUMNI BOARD SPOTLIGHT

Avon King ’05

Avon knew Barry was the place for him when he took the campus tour and his guide was from St. Croix, a neighbor to his native St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Avon felt instantly at home and went on to study finance and economics at the Andreas School of Business, then entered the financial services industry. He has worked at Morgan Stanley for the last nine years and believes the future looks bright.

How was your experience at Barry?

It was awesome. Barry created a wonderful community for me — people with whom I still have deep conversations about life and careers. I want to keep that community effect multiplying by staying connected and involved.

Why did you get involved with Barry’s Alumni Board?

Once I started to see professional success, I went back to the center of who I am and knew it was important to me to give back. I jumped at the chance to be an Alumni Board member because I’m finally far enough into my career that I feel I have something to contribute. The Board is full of great people who have the same passion I do for the University.

What has been your experience as a Board member?

I sit on the Scholarship Committee, and I do informal and formal mentoring. As a younger Board Member, I’m a closer link to the students. It took me almost 10 years to get to where I am [professionally], but maybe I can help other students get there in five years.

How can alumni contribute?

You can volunteer time or offer a helping hand at events. You can share your knowledge and your network. You can also contribute monetarily. It’s not necessarily about giving large sums of money, but more about frequency and building it into your lifestyle. Additionally, younger alumni can pay it forward by being an example for the students.

We are so grateful to the alumni and friends who believe that a gift to the Barry Fund is the best investment they can make toward improving access to education and changing the lives of our students, their families, and communities. THANK YOU! Barry would not be Barry without You.