Clint Carmichael ’10 recalls his years at SMU as “an incredible and meaningful experience.” Those great memories have motivated him to stay connected to his alma mater as an active member of SMU Alumni in Chicago, where he now serves as chapter president.
Carmichael, who grew up in Tuscaloosa, AL, earned a degree in finance from the Cox School of Business before launching his career. He’s currently an associate at Glencoe/Stockwell Capital and is pursuing Chartered Financial Analyst certification.
“Glencoe Capital is a private equity firm that acquires lower-middle market companies. Stockwell Capital is owned by Glencoe and does private equity co-investment,” he explains. “I conduct financial analyses on potential buyout opportunities for Glencoe and monitor the financial performance of the companies in which Stockwell has invested.”
Despite his hectic schedule, he makes sure to carve out time for chapter events. Coming up in Chicago are a Campaign Celebration for alumni, parents and friends October 9, and the Stampede of Service October 19, when alumni will volunteer at the Chicago Park District’s Northerly Island Adventure Day.
Carmichael recently shared some of his favorite Mustang moments and thoughts about his student experience with SMU Magazine:
A favorite SMU memory?
Freshman year tailgate for the SMU/UAB game on Halloween. My roommate and I made some funny costumes and were matched by many other great outfits on the Boulevard before the game. SMU also won, which is a plus.
A favorite SMU class and/or professor and why?
I have to name two professors. First, Mark Frost, my micro- and macroeconomics teacher. I am sure every college has a few professors who boast about the difficulty of their class on the first day and recommend dropping it to those looking for an easy B. Frost wasn’t boasting; he was giving away valuable advice. For the first test, I studied for 12 hours and got a 32 (out of 115). I was disheartened, but I decided to stay in the class. Frost had an unorthodox way of looking at the world; he stretched the class to see different perspectives and somehow related economics in an effective way. I looked forward to every lecture and encouraged a few of my friends to sit in on some of them. My test grades improved, and I passed both micro- and macroeconomics with an A, a new way of thinking, and a solid grasp of the subjects. I continue to be fascinated with economics, and I give Mark Frost much of the credit.
The second is Ashley O’Neill, my Rhetoric 1 and 2 teacher. I was a terrible writer when I entered college. Terrible. She was a skilled teacher and broke down writing into fundamentals that even I could understand. She also put in many extra office hours with me and brought my writing skills up to a manageable standard. Thanks to SMU for making rhetoric a mandatory class. I can now craft Shakespearean two-line emails.
How did your SMU education prepared you for your career?
Very well. The Cox School of Business gave me a well-rounded basis for different aspects of business; my psychology minor expanded my knowledge in a subject in which I was very interested; and the liberal arts requirements forced me to take interesting classes I would not have otherwise chosen. SMU also does a good job of connecting students with alumni for job opportunities.