Broadening His Horizons

Tom Budde '17 had no interest in finance and thought it was something for an “elite genius,” but found his dedication to finance through the opportunities with U.S. Cellular and MMU's accelerated program.

“Prior to my time at Mount Mercy, I couldn't have told you anything about finance, accounting, or why businesses operate the way that they do,” said Budde. “It's a direct result of my education that I'm now working as an investment analyst at Aegon Asset Management where I have to understand all of it and understand it well. MMU was the launch pad for my career.” 

Budde's job at U.S. Cellular helped build his path. Finance was nothing he ever valued in life, but Mount Mercy finance advisor and professor Rob Rittenhouse convinced Budde to pursue a finance degree after taking one of his classes.

“The picture in my head was always of the NYSE trading floor after the opening bell,” said Budde. “As I was getting my degree in business, I attended finance classes led by Rob Rittenhouse. It was Rob who inspired me to pursue my finance degree as well.”

Budde had a positive experience with Rittenhouse saying that, “He was able to take highly complex finance concepts and make them easy to learn.” The moment Budde finished his class, he realized that his dedication for finance and wanted more.

There were three reasons Budde decided to go through MMU's accelerated finance program. First, he had responsibilities at home as a first-time father. Because of this, Budde wasn't able to go through the traditional program. Second, the accelerated program was recommended to him by multiple people saying it was a challenging program with a great teacher-to-student ratio. Third, the seamless transition from Kirkwood to Mount Mercy was a perfect fit for his hectic schedule.

“Mount Mercy offers the opportunity to learn the tools necessary to achieve your goals,” said Budde. “Ask yourself if you could achieve that goal without the educational advantage. If you are still on the fence, call Mount Mercy and talk to someone. They will happily provide information to help make that decision.”

Currently, Budde works as an investment analyst at Aegon Asset Management.

“Going to college with a family can be unpredictable. My wife was there to make sure that the unpredictable did not become the unmanageable.”

By putting everything aside and talking some stress of his shoulders, Budde's wife helped him complete the program.

“I could not have done this without the support of my wife,” said Budde. “Going to college with a family can be unpredictable. My wife was there to make sure that the unpredictable did not become the unmanageable.”