Chris Hodges is a finance major at Albers, on schedule to graduate in Spring of 2008. Chris is a true scholar-athlete, with a current GPA of 3.6 and was the Albers selection as the Wall Street Journal Finance Student of the Year in 2006-07. For the past two years, Chris has been President of the Albers Investment Club. He’s also a center-back for the SU Redhawks soccer team. In the past season, Chris was selected to the Academic All-GNAC Team, the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, and GNAC Second Team. A member of the team for four years, but a red-shirt freshman, Chris is hoping to gain a fifth year of eligibility while enrolled in the Albers MBA program next year.
Chris grew up locally, graduating from Interlake High School. As a youngster, he both swam and played soccer competitively but made soccer his focus when he entered high school. From his position on the soccer field, he sees the whole game and is charged with setting the defense to meet the attack. He makes use of his Albers management training in positioning his teammates, calling out directions and tactics, making his communications “early, clear, and effective.”
Chris is currently enjoying an internship with Smith Barney, where he works with the Lubner Group, making investment and wealth management decisions. Chris loves the opportunity afforded by the internship. A career in the investment industry is a possibility, but Chris is hoping eventually to open his own business. In that, he openly models his mother, Myra Teng, the owner-manager of a flower shop in Bellevue.
Chris says he’s dreamed of playing soccer in Southern California or Florida but didn’t want to be far from home after his father’s death. So, he enrolled at Seattle University. But, all things have worked out for the best. He has found SU to be a great place, for soccer, for studies, and for life.
He praises the university for having the resources to support any student’s efforts consistent with the school’s mission. He loves the spirit, the diversity, and even the location. In athletics, his high point was winning the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2004. In academics, Chris gave high marks to the consistently excellent teaching in Albers, and the Albers Executive Speaker Series for bringing students into contact with the driving entrepreneurial spirits that have created such local firms as Costco and Starbucks.
The Redhawks had a great regular season and a disappointing playoff run. After going 16-2-1 in the regular season, the team fell to Sonoma State 2-0 in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.