A Quick Overview
Whitney White graduated from Davidson as an Anthropology major but entered Davidson actually wanting to be an attorney. It was a piece of advice from her orientation weekend that sticks with her to this day and that changed the trajectory of her career: “Pursue what you love.” In anthropology class, she fell in love with data analytics, the study of people, and the subject in general, and decided she’d be an anthropology major and go on to be a lawyer.
While at Davidson, Whitney took advantage of Davidson’s large and engaged alumni network. Davidson admissions often boasts of the large and close-knit alumni group that is always willing to help students, as a selling point for the school. Whitney put that promise to the test, she reached out to alums, asked for advice, asked if they liked their jobs, and even shadowed a few people. By engaging with Davidson alums, Whitney was given the quite candid advice that the attorney path might not be something she would enjoy or benefit from. Candid conversations meant Whitney could avoid the potential strife of a major career shift.
Continuing to use her Davidson connections, Whitney moved on to work for the consulting firm, Bain. Whitney moved from Bain, to work within the City of Atlanta Mayor’s office. After a taste of the fast-paced and real-life nature of the public sector, Whitney moved back into the private sector and had free time to start Afara Global as a side job. It wasn’t until she shifted to working full time for her venture that it really took off, but once she devoted full time to it, she was able to use her gained skills to help others do exactly what she had done with Afara Global.
Whitney gives expert and real-life advice to Davidson students to actually engage with the alumni network, and pursue what you love to lead you to what you’re meant to do.