From the Pitch to Nation's Capital; Q&A with Jake Keator
7/24/2013 11:26:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Leading up to the first preseason practice, we will conduct weekly Q&A's with members of the Davidson men's soccer team and head coach Matt Spear. This week's profile is on senior midfielder Jake Keator, who spent his summer interning in our nation's capital.
Jake Keator Q&A
Give an overview of how your summer played out.
JK: It's been an unbelievable summer. I've been living in Washington DC and working at The Motley Fool, an incredible company that does everything from investing education to financial media and probably a lot more in the future. I've been doing everything I can to get ready for the fall season and balancing it with work, which has been a fun challenge.
When exams wrapped up in May, what did you do in terms of soccer and how has the summer training been going?
JK: My first priority was to get back to full fitness after a groin injury at the end of the spring. Since then, I've been doing everything possible to be ready for the fall. I've been putting in lots of long runs in the city and I've gotten some strange looks from tourists when I run shuttles in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I've also been lifting in the office gym and trying to play as much as possible. I play indoor soccer with guys from the office on Friday mornings and it has been an absolute blast. I've also played a few men's league games with a co-worker and I try to jump into pick-up games when I can find them. Another co-worker runs ultra-marathons (100+ miles) and I've been able to join him for some training days. We've done sprints on the steps to the Masonic temple in Alexandria and run intervals on a nearby track. He left me in the dust but it was still a ton of fun. All in all, it's been a really energizing summer and I'm excited to get back and start the season.
When you decided to attend Davidson, did an interest in summer internships/experiences help?
JK: I knew that Davidson had an excellent career development office so that was definitely a factor. But for me the most important thing was the education I would receive and the challenges I would face as a student-athlete that would prepare me for whatever I chose in life. This summer has proven to me that I made the right choice.
How did you obtain the summer internship, what has been your role and how will it impact your ideas post Davidson as an Economics major?
JK: My father has been a follower of The Motley Fool since the early days of AOL and I grew up waiting for the investment newsletters to come in the mail. In high school, I read the "Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens" and it changed the way I thought about how I would live the rest of my life. When I saw they had an internship, I knew it was where I had to be, and there hasn't been a day here that I haven't thought to myself how lucky I am to be working at the Fool, because they had a profound influence on me growing up.
I have been publishing articles (including one that made the headline of Fool.com and another that cracked the Yahoo! main page), writing research reports, updating company reports, and learning everything I can about investing. The Economics major at Davidson was the ultimate training ground because of the writing and independent thought central to the curriculum. Post-Davidson, I would love to return to the Fool, but if that doesn't work out I would like to pursue consulting or another career in investments. This summer has convinced me that positions like consulting or investing are ideal for liberal arts students just out of college because you gain exposure to different business models and use your critical thinking skills to identify fundamentals across industries.
Below are links to three of my articles:
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/06/22/the-5-companies-i-could-not-live-without.aspx?source=iaasitlnk0000003
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/06/22/want-to-be-a-great-investor-maybe-you-should-have.aspx?source=iaasitlnk0000003
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/07/18/buffetts-3-largest-dow-positions.aspx?source=iaasitlnk0000003
Describe your experience living in Washington DC.
JK: Living in DC has been a fantastic experience. I've been living on my own in a George Washington University dorm, just a few blocks from the White House and the National Mall. It's an amazing feeling to run through the city in the evenings and think about all the history there. It's also been nice to visit my teammate and roommate (four years running) Coleman O'Neill at his house in Silver Spring.
Independent living has also been a rewarding challenge. At Davidson, it's easy to take for granted the amazing things provided for us 24/7, from food services to laundry. Balancing summer training with a full work schedule, day-to-day errands, and early wake-ups has helped me develop a "real-world" mindset.
As a Senior, what are your hopes for your final campaign?
JK: Two words: SoCon Championship. Aside from that, your senior year is about the legacy you leave with your teammates still in the program. Whether I'm starting or coming off the bench, I don't want to be remembered for the roles I played but rather how I played them, and I mean that in a character sense, both on and off the field.
We've worked hard to develop a culture of extra-commitment over the last four years and whether that means coming early or staying late (ideally both), I want to be remembered most for my dedication in that regard and do my part to make sure the culture continues.