'TU felt like home'

By Kyle Hobstetter on August 19, 2018

When Sean Jefferson was evaluating colleges, it became more and more obvious which school stood out.

This fall Jefferson, who graduated from Baltimore’s Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, will start his freshman year at Towson University’s College of Business and Economics.

And while he had a few other colleges on his final list, being able to go to a good school near his family is what ultimately swayed him toward TU.

“With it being so close, and it being such a good school…it felt like home.” Jefferson said. “With (TU) I can see my family while still getting a good education.” 

Jefferson is the youngest of four children and the last to go to college. When asked what his mom will say when he finally moves into the Glen Towers Residence Hall, he simply laughed and said, “Finally!”

Jefferson cites the influence of his mother and his sisters for his push to pull in perfect grades his freshman year. He also hopes he can do well enough to earn some scholarships and not have to apply for student loans.

“My family always told me, ‘You have to do well in school, regardless of what you want to do in life,’” he explains.

The business administration major is already planning his future. Not only does he want to have his own business, but he also wants to work on Wall Street.

Jefferson’s interest in stocks and trading was evident when he visited TU’s T. Rowe Price Finance Lab. Every time a business went past on the stock ticker, he'd launch into a discussion about why the stock was either up or down.

“I always watch stocks,” Jefferson said as his eyes darted to the ticker. “I’ve always wanted to know what would make somebody buy a certain stock, or invest in something so small that just blew up.”  

Jefferson enrolled in a macro economics class this fall—his first CBE course. And while he’s excited to start learning the ins and outs of the business world, he’s also looking forward to taking his first acting class in the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

“I’ve only seen acting classes in television and movies,” he added. “I’m really excited to see what they’ll have me doing.” 

Jefferson also has a pretty impressive athletic background: He helped Dunbar win the MPSSAA Class 1A football state championship during his senior year. He and his teammates were invited to the state capitol, where they met members of Maryland’s General Assembly as well Gov. Larry Hogan.

Winning the state championship was one of his biggest accomplishments to date, he said.

Jefferson admitted that meeting the governor and dealing with all the cameras left him a little overwhelmed, and he anticipates a similar feeling when he walks across the SECU Arena stage to receive his TU diploma.

“I’m going to feel how I felt when I won that state championship — star struck.”