Built to Stay: How a Pfeiffer Basketball Player Found His Future in Finance – and Never Left

Clayton Robinson '25, MBA '27, arrived at Pfeiffer University with options. A standout basketball player from Charlotte, Clayton had interest from larger schools and Division I walk-on opportunities. He visited Pfeiffer anyway and something unexpected happened.

"People still knew my name when I came back for my second visit," he recalls. "That wasn't the case at some of the bigger schools I was touring." He chose Pfeiffer, and four years later, he's still choosing it.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in finance, Clayton enrolled directly in Pfeiffer's MBA program with a focus in finance - bypassing the gap year that some of his peers considered, and leaning into advice he received during a junior-year internship with Cabarrus County. "The chief of procurement really emphasized that I shouldn't take a gap year between my bachelor's and my master's," Clayton says. "I already had time management skills from balancing coursework and athletics. He told me to move right in."

That advice stuck. So did his connection to Pfeiffer. When friends suggested he transfer to a bigger school for his final year of basketball eligibility, Clayton didn't hesitate. "I felt so connected to this place that I couldn't really leave," he says. "The coaches played a big part in that. And then the professors - their office was always open to me. They gave me their personal phone number. My friends at App State or ECU barely knew their professor's first name."

Now in the MBA program, Clayton points to a negotiation class that assigns new partners each week as a highlight. "I have four former teammates in that course," he laughs. "Of course I wanted to work with them. But getting random partners made me talk to people I never would have met otherwise. I've really enjoyed that."

Outside the classroom, Clayton is already putting his finance education to work. He's studying for his Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) examination - a key step toward becoming a licensed financial advisor - and has started building a client base with the support of a mentor who holds his own certifications. He's also gathered a group of friends to teach them the basics of investing: asset allocation, diversification, long-term thinking. No get-rich-quick schemes. Just fundamentals.

"I'm trying to teach people to allocate their money in efficient ways," he says. "Really just building a foundation they can grow from."

With a few months left in the program and a clear path toward asset and portfolio management, Clayton is finishing what he started - at the school that felt like home from day one. Whether you're a seasoned professional ready to sharpen your leadership edge, or simply someone who has been waiting for the right moment - Clayton's story is a reminder that the right time is often right now. To learn more about Pfeiffer University's MBA program and how it can fit your life and career goals, visit www.pfeiffer.edu/mba or reach out to our admissions team at [email protected].