Davis Cragun ’18 of Fruit Heights, Utah attended Davis High School and earned his associate’s degree at USU Kaysville before coming to Logan to pursue a Bachelor of Political Science. Having recently moved to Dallas, Davis is currently an associate at Goldman Sachs, where he leads a team in the Private Wealth Management department. Once a month, Davis takes a break from office life by flying airplanes with the United States Air Force Reserves in Kansas. He and his wife enjoy traveling to new places and hanging with their two cats and a dog. We asked Davis to give us an update for our new series called 5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad.
The best decision I ever made was joining the United States Air Force Reserves. Serving in the military was something I had wanted to do since childhood, but I kept putting it off for a million different reasons. Finally, at 27 years old and several years into my career in finance, I made the leap. I was initially nervous to ask my supervisors and team about the required military leave, but Goldman Sachs was nothing but supportive from the beginning to the end of my journey. I spent a full year away from work for my initial training, but the life balance, feeling of fulfillment, and the skills and experiences that I have learned translate to the business world and more than make up for that time away.
The thing I miss most about USU is its beautiful campus and the surrounding Cache Valley scenery. My wife and I were born and raised in Utah. While we enjoy living in Texas, we probably tell each other how much we miss the mountains on a daily basis.
I have to give a shout-out to the Institute of Government and Politics because the highlight of my time at USU was, without a doubt, my internship with the Senate Finance Committee. Working in Washington broadened my horizons and ultimately set me on a pathway to success after college. I'd encourage students to take advantage of USU’s many resources, like the IOGP, so they can learn and grow beyond the classroom.
The best place to eat/study/sleep on campus has got to be the Merrill-Cazier library. I'd recommend that people find a group of smart friends to study with and utilize the rooms on the 2nd floor. Also, the breakfast sandwiches at The Forum Cafe near the library entrance are super underrated.
The best advice I ever received was, "If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing poorly." That quote shocks the system the first few times you hear it — it’s the inverse of what is usually said. By shifting my mindset away from perfectionism and more toward action, I’ve been more effective in my personal and professional life. Here are a few simple examples. Some progress is better than none. Even if you don't know the perfect thing to say, it's better to reach out to a friend in need than not at all. On nights you're more tired than usual, it's better to brush your teeth a little bit as opposed to not at all. You get the point!
To help elevate the faculty who have authored books, Julia M. Gossard, associate dean of research in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS), created CHaSS Book Talks. This series invites faculty with recent publications to share their resea...
A new series was recently introduced to promote the creative work and research conducted in the college. The CHaSS Book Talk series was designed to help facilitate a more robust intellectual community among faculty, staff, and graduate students, centering...
