Gordon Ford College of Business News

As a numbers person and a people person, WKU senior Seth Newby found a perfect career match in financial planning.

“I’m actually very lucky,” said Newby, a finance major from Magnolia. “I sort of knew what I wanted to do pretty early on. I knew I liked numbers and analysis. But sitting behind a computer screen all day long is not me. I love people. Financial planning is that beautiful blend of using an analytic mindset while being able to help and serve people.”

Newby, who has accepted a position with ARGI Financial Group in Louisville, will be recognized Saturday as the Ogden Foundation Scholar for the spring 2021 semester.

He is honored and humbled to receive WKU’s top undergraduate academic award. He’s also thankful for the connections he’s made and the opportunities he’s had for academic, personal, professional and spiritual growth.

As a high school senior making a college decision, Newby’s perspective was simply to get a degree and get a good job. Then he visited WKU.

“There’s just something different about the atmosphere here,” said Newby, the son of Freddie and Melissa Newby. “They talked about the Spirit Makes the Master and you’re like ‘What does that even mean?’ By the end of your four years here, you have a much better idea of what that means and you get a glimpse of it even on a tour.”

Newby said the WKU experience – especially his involvement in the Gordon Ford College of Business, Mahurin Honors College and Christian Student Fellowship -- widened his perspective on college.

“Those three groups helped build and bless me throughout my time here. Hopefully I’ve done something in return.”

In his four years on the Hill, Newby served as an HonorsTopper, Gordon Ford College of Business Ambassador and Mahurin Honors College H4 (Freshmen Retreat) Counselor; was lead analyst for the TVA Investment Challenge and the CFA Research Institute Investment Challenge; spent a semester abroad at Harlaxton College; was Gordon Ford College of Business Dean for a Day; received the TD Ameritrade NextGen RIA nationally competitive scholarship; and conducted research on election cycle market volatility during an internship with the Vanguard Group.

As an HonorsTopper and Gordon Ford College of Business Ambassador, Newby encourages prospective students to get plugged in with campus organizations, to develop relationships with professors and to keep an open mind.

His mentors include Indudeep Chhachhi, Chair of Finance Department; and Ron Rhoades, Director of WKU Personal Financial Planning Program and Associate Professor of Finance. “Dr. Chhachhi and Dr. Rhoades are phenomenal educators, financial professionals, and men. WKU is very lucky to have them,” Newby said.

In their recommendation letters for the award, Dr. Chhachhi and Dr. Rhoades noted that Newby has taken advantage of the opportunities offered at WKU and is well prepared for his professional career.

Newby summed up his WKU experience and his goal to serve others in his Ogden Scholar essay.

“With all the opportunity and accomplishments many of us have had here at WKU, it’s imperative that we leverage our experiences and renewed perspectives to create a better global community. Our charge is not to boast of our intellectual prowess, cultural awareness, or prestigious work experience, but we are called to listen, to empathize, and to love the people around us, regardless of who they are or where they come from,” he wrote.

“At WKU I was able to find a community that encouraged me and challenged me to grow. I came to WKU with a gross underappreciation of the impact this university would have on me, yet the Hill has become my home where I am enveloped by a sense of spirit and family. I am eternally grateful for the experience I have had here and the influence it will have on the rest of my life and those around me."