Our Alumni Spotlight series will be an ongoing feature, highlighting former student-athletes and catching up on where their journeys have taken them after graduation. Aaron Davis, former Football student-athlete, graduated in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and a master’s degree in Business Analytics in 2021.
Can you tell us about your current career and what you’re doing now?
I currently work for Link Logistics Real Estate. My company is in the commercial real estate industry where we serve as the US industrial operator for Blackstone, the first ever alternative investment firm to cross $1 trillion in assets under management. We specialize in last-mile logistics facilities. I have been here for about three and a half years and am an investment associate. My role revolves around us buying and selling properties or portfolios. I mainly support our team in underwriting assets, Due Diligence/PSA negotiations, and analyzing market data.
How did your experience as a student-athlete prepare you for your professional career?
More than any other technical skilled I could have gained, my time as a student-athlete taught me soft skills that I feel cannot be replicated outside of military professionals. Some of those intangibles include competitiveness, attention to detail, and time management.
What was the most important lesson you learned from balancing academics, athletics, and personal life during college?
The most important lesson I learned was it is paramount to be both process and goal oriented. There are so many distractions that can pull you away from what you want to accomplish, and it is very hard to juggle the people, responsibilities, and desires. Having the discipline to say no when certain priorities are in front of you allowed me to excel in a challenging environment.
What’s one thing you wish you had known about life after sports before you graduated?
Regardless of your academic prowess or accomplishments, you still need direction. Whether you play 10 years or 10 minutes professionally, that transition to a life without all the structures in place will be difficult.
Looking back, what advice would you give to current student-athletes who are trying to navigate life after college and sport?
Network! I cannot stress this enough. To be really good at your sport you have to devote so much time to it, but that does not leave a lot of time to connect with peers that are not student-athletes, commit to internships, join community clubs, etc. When you are done competing, those are the people you will want to talk to and be working with unless you want to stay in the sports realm. Build those relationships early so you can have work professionals that can speak on your behalf, especially if you are someone like me who entered the workforce without any experience.
When you think about your time as a Bulldog, what is one moment that stands out the most?
Outside of the moments from the games, especially with me being able to play in Sanford Stadium, I would say graduation day.
