About Me:
Brenan Dimery
Thanks for checking out my E-Portfolio. As you can tell from the website's header, my name is Brenan Dimery, and you’re looking at the culmination of the last four years of my life. Some might refer to it as college, some call it undergraduate, and a few call it a financial mistake, but I refer to it as the most valuable set of years in my life thus far. I am currently a student at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business that is majoring in Finance and Management, with concentrations in Data Analytics and Entrepreneurship. I am set to graduate in May 2022 with Leadership Distinction in Professional and Civic Engagement. I am also the chair of a grant-funded program, Mental Health Ambassadors, through UofSC’s University Health Service’s "Together We Can" initiative. I am also currently employed at the University of South Carolina’s Office of Advancement Services through University Development as an Analytics and Client Solutions Analyst Intern. This assistantship ends after I graduate, when I hope to become an Associate Actuary. When I am not working or studying, I am currently studying to take the first of ten total tests to become a Senior Actuary.
All the above information is a lot of important academic and professional things that I am proud to obtain and give an insight to who I am, but it only tells so much. The rest of this E-Portfolio dives deeper into the importance of those words, set around the three ideas that have shaped me professionally: Finance, Risk Management, and Mental Health Awareness. My three Key Insights that are portrayed as the Value of Financial Risk Management, Managing the Risk of Mental Health, and the Impact of Financial Stressors on Mental Health, come directly from those three values. Though those things are important to note about me, it does not tell the entire story. Through the rest of this section, I plan on talking about a few of the things that have given me the motivation I needed during my time in college. I hope you see why these things have been valuable in my life.
During my senior year of high school, I started working in the restaurant business at Tijuana Flats, a Florida-based Tex-Mex Restaurant. I found a job closer to campus after my freshman year in college, and at this restaurant, Twisted Spur Brewing, I fell in love with cooking. Irrelevant to mental health, finance, and risk management, cooking is fun. The two main people I worked with in the kitchen at Twisted Spur, Rebecca and Sid, taught me so much that I never would have learned elsewhere. Though I’ve moved on from working in restaurants, I still love cooking. Throughout the week, I cook most of the meals that my partner and I eat, and I enjoy doing so.
Before going to college, I had only been to four states (including South Carolina) in my life. Though not a massive difference, I have now been to eight states (and Washington D.C.) since starting college. Travelling and experiencing different things has become one of my favorite things, and as soon as I get back from a new place, I usually begin planning my next trip. I have been out-of-state for football games with my friend Jeffrey, I’ve been to different states to visit and meet my partner’s family, and I’ve experienced different trips with her. Since experiencing these new places, I eventually hope to move from South Carolina and continue my life with her in a new and exciting place one day.
When I was in elementary school, I was extremely into art. Most of my friends told me I was good, but since I was a perfectionist, I stopped drawing for fun because I felt pressured to be good, even though I did not think I was. Potentially connected, I almost avoided all forms of art for a long time. I never really listened to music, watched movies, or read books. During college however, I started rekindling my love for art. I started broadening my musical reach with the help of my friends and have developed a desire to listen to new artists and go to concerts. I started watching movies as a form of relaxation and have formed an appreciation for movies (especially those with Leonardo DiCaprio, the guy’s great). I have also begun to read more, usually non-fiction books, but most importantly, I enjoy it. Lastly, and most importantly, I have begun appreciating art more. In each new city I go to, I love viewing their local art and visiting museums. Though I have not started drawing again myself, maybe one day I will.
Though these intangible things that have helped me grow as a person are important in my journey, I would be extremely remiss to not mention those that have helped me throughout the last few years. Without these people, I would not have made it this far. First, I want to thank my best friend, Jonathan. You’ve been my best friend for over 15 years, and you’ve been there for me through it all. Thanks man, you’re truly the best. I also want to thank my parents, of course. Mama, I thank you for being my biggest fan. Your support is always unmatched. Mitah, thanks for being my dad. You’ve given me a great example to look up to everyday. Thank y’all. Next is my sister, Morgan. Though we don’t talk as much as we used to, you’re still my sister and my first true friend. Thank you for that. Lastly, I want to thank my girlfriend, Emily. Thank you for being there for me every day. You’re the best thing that has happened to me in college. I also want to thank Grandma, Jeffrey, Austin, Rebecca and Steve, Caroline, Jaime, Sid, Travis and Karen, Rob, Matty K, Kat and April, and everyone else that has believed in me, given me a chance, or just been a friend. Thank you, the reader, for viewing this as well.
Lastly, I want to take the time to dedicate my Management Major and Entrepreneurship Concentration to my late grandfather, Lynn A. Koon, a true entrepreneur and a fantastic man.