During meetings in Chicago in November 2023, Annexstad Family Foundation Alumna Shawn Sanford sparked an idea with Foundation leadership: hosting a virtual event series to share real and raw insights with Scholars and Alumni on life after college.
The series would reveal both its triumphs and challenges. Shawn recognized a gap in receiving advice and insight from her own experience as a new graduate. Insight into finding an apartment, finding a non-predatory car loan and knowing what to look for in a job offer beyond the salary and more.
In collaboration with the Foundation, the Investing in Yourself series was born. The purpose of the series is to discuss post-graduation topics and to inspire Scholars to invest their time and energy into becoming the best versions of themselves in the future.
Shawn’s experience as an Annexstad Alumna is unique in that she paved the way as the first recipient and graduate of the Leaders for Tomorrow scholarship. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2008 with a degree in American and Africana studies. Following her graduation,
Shawn pursued a role with AT&T in her hometown of Chicago. Shawn shared in the first virtual event that her first year post-graduation was challenging as a first-generation college graduate with little support as she didn’t know what she didn’t know. Shawn says, “I wish I had been more forthcoming in asking questions about things like my 401k and investing, but I hope through this event series that I can help students feel like they have the chance to ask those questions.”
In the first virtual event, Shawn also discussed her life and journey in her hometown of Chicago beyond that first year at AT&T. From having her daughter, to switching sectors from Telecommunications to Association Management, to the excitement and nervousness of buying her first home. Shawn took the webinar audience through the ups and downs of her pathway from graduation to 2024. Shawn’s first event focused primarily on personal fi nance and sharing her own personal experiences as a young adult.
A few key takeaways she imparted on the Annexstad Scholar cohort included:
• Credit scores are incredibly important. Don’t let anyone influence your credit score by co-signing or allowing them to “use” your credit.
• Live within your means by establishing and sticking to a budget.
• When comparing car loans, look out for predatory lenders – if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!
• Save money for a rainy day, no matter what the forecast looks like. Life will always throw you curveballs. Shawn concluded the event with a call to action for the cohort to continue to ask for help and to reach out for support.
Shawn Sanford, class of 2008, is the first alumna of the LFT program at the University of Notre Dame. She began her career in telecommunications, where she quickly established herself as an innovative leader. Currently, Shawn is an executive in association management, specializing in membership engagement and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Her leadership fosters inclusive environments and enhances member experiences, ensuring diverse voices are heard and valued. Shawn’s career reflects her dedication to excellence and her commitment to driving positive change within her field and beyond.