Alumni Spotlight: David Hurt from Country Financial

Name: David Hurt

Graduation year: 2001

Hometown: Gresham, Oregon

Major at LC: Psychology

Sports played at LC: Football

Career Development Center: Can you please tell us a bit about your journey from Lewis & Clark to Country Financial? Did you always plan to work in finance? What inspired you to pursue this path?

David Hurt: I studied psychology at L&C because I have always been intrigued with human behavior, the brain and why people make certain decisions. I also knew that I wanted to help people. I spent my first 4 years after graduation working with children with autism and then working at a transitional housing complex for homeless families. In 2005 I reached a point where I was emotionally drained and I was looking for a new career path. Two of my good friends from L&C, Aaron Howard ’02 and Jeremy Peterson ’01, had been working for COUNTRY Financial since graduation. They had both experienced early success at COUNTRY Financial and I figured, “If these guys can be successful there, why can’t I”? More than eight years later, I continue to enjoy helping my diverse clientele with a broad assortment of their insurance and financial needs.

CDC: How has your liberal arts education prepared you for life beyond college?

DH: Having knowledge in an array of subjects has increased my success and sense of fulfillment both professionally and personally. I believe my psychology background helps me to be a better financial representative than I would be had I spent my college years studying only finance and economics. Now that I have a 2-year-old daughter, everything I learned in Janet Davidson’s Child Psychology course has a practical application. I continue to appreciate jazz thanks to my time in David Becker’s Jazz Appreciation class.

CDC: How did your involvement in athletics during college prepare to you to work for Country Financial?

DH: Goal setting and perseverance. In order to be successful in athletics, you have to learn to set goals - daily, weekly and annually. You also must develop a plan on how to reach those goals. The experience I gained setting and achieving goals while playing football at L&C has helped me in my personal success at COUNTRY Financial and helps me develop strong financial plans for my clients. I have always thought that I learned the most from the hardships in my athletic career. Those days where you don’t feel like going to the weight room, or the games when you fall behind by 2 touchdowns, teach you that you need to be persistent in pursuit of your goals. In a competitive sales environment where I often hear “no” and “not right now”, perseverance is the difference between success and failure.

CDC: What advice would you give graduating seniors getting ready to enter the workforce?

DH: Continue to learn and challenge the current way of thinking in your industry. Everybody knows that our economy is changing at a rapid pace. In order to stand out and be successful you have to continually add value to your company and to your clients. Being flexible, inquisitive and continually adding to your knowledge base will make an employer want to hire you.

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Want to meet David and learn more about his work? He, along with two other alumni that work at Country Financial, is hosting a Financial Literacy Foundations Seminar on February 10th for current students. Learn more and reserve your spot today. Pizza will be provided!