Meet Tyler Claiborne – an Ivy student-athlete making the most of his collegiate journey.
Balancing life in college can be a challenging experience for many. This is especially true for students taking on multiple academic pursuits like Tyler Claiborne, a junior from Shawnee, Kansas, double majoring in finance and accounting and minoring in business analytics. What makes his story unique, is that Claiborne is also an active squad member of the Iowa State University football program as a wide receiver.
Early life
Accumulating an impressive on-field resume throughout high school, Claiborne spent his last two years with St. James Academy’s football team leading them to back-to-back state championships, including the first in his school’s history. Selected as a two-time All-State Receiver for Class 4A and team captain for his senior season, he accumulated over 2,200 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns in 25 games.
Claiborne’s high-achieving nature continued off the field as well, winning the Outstanding English Student Award during his junior year.
With his accolades coming out of high school, Claiborne had a robust list of options to consider when deciding where to attend college. While he did provide thorough consideration to all, the opportunities Iowa State offered for his academic, professional, and athletic careers were above the rest.
“From the first time I stepped foot on campus, I knew Iowa State was the right place for me because of how much the faculty and students cared for one another,” said Claiborne.
His decision to attend Iowa State was then solidified through conversations he had with alumni.
“Whenever I would bring up the possibility of attending Iowa State, alumni could not stop talking about how great their experience was and how everyone on campus is rooting for one another’s success.”
Collegiate journey
With his path to higher education set, Claiborne entered Iowa State as a finance major, an interest he had from a young age.
“My Dad engrained in my head that no matter what career path I decided to take, having financial literacy and knowledge would pay dividends to the future success I hope to have. Ever since he gave me that piece of advice, I knew that a career in finance was something that I wanted to pursue,” he said.
In his first year of college, Claiborne found his experience in Accounting 284 exceptional. The teaching style of Anne Clem, Elaine R. Everson Teaching Fellow and teaching professor of accounting, made for an engaging course that widened Claiborne’s perspective on the different career paths available to him. This led to him picking up accounting as a second major following his first year and has provided Claiborne with more exposure to academics at Ivy.
“Every professor I’ve had wants the absolute best for their students,” said Claiborne. “Their support has been highly encouraging and helpful to my academic and professional career progression. Recently, I have reached out to professors I have not even had classes with for advice on my current aspirations as a student.”
Claiborne’s utilization of Ivy’s large support network has led to academic success. Boasting a perfect 4.00 GPA, he has been a Dean’s List and Honor Roll student throughout his time at Iowa State.
“What impresses me most about Tyler is his natural ability to lead and create value for those around him,” said Ilker Karaca, associate professor of practice in finance. “His genuine curiosity and drive to excel are evident in everything he takes on.”
As a further testament to Claiborne’s success in the classroom, he received the All-Cyclone Team Award last year as a representative for the football team. The annual achievement recognizes student-athletes with the top academic performance on their respective teams.
Karaca continued, “Whether he’s challenging himself by taking a graduate class or finding ways to help recognize our students who are equally driven to pursue competitive careers in finance, Tyler consistently leads by example, inspiring others to push their boundaries and aim higher.”
Outside the classroom
In addition to his academic pursuits, Claiborne has been involved at Ivy through a mix of volunteer and club engagement. Last semester, he became a member of the Iowa State Finance Club and a team representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Claiborne’s first and most enjoyable involvement has been his position managing a $220,000 student-operated equity fund as a technology sector analyst for the Iowa State Investment Group. This opportunity resulted from his exposure to higher-level courses throughout the past few semesters and has provided Claiborne with nothing but great experiences thus far.
“My time with the investment group has significantly impacted my understanding of finance because I can apply what I learn in the classroom to real-world projects and experiences,” said Claiborne. “The parallel I’ve been able to make from my classes and experience with the group has expanded my knowledge further than I could ever imagine.”
Claiborne has also secured an internship for every major academic break (summer and winter) since his first year. Last summer, he interned as an associate financial advisor with Expedition Wealth Management in Des Moines, Iowa.
Throughout the summer, Claiborne was able to connect classroom knowledge with the decision-making process of the financial advisors on his team. He found this to be an enriching experience as it allowed him to observe financial deliberations in a professional setting.
“The responsibilities I had in working with clients and identifying their investment goals based on specific risk preferences helped me gain a more tangible understanding of wealth management and client interaction.”
