Derrek Matthews Email & Phone Number

As long as I can remember, I’ve been a passionate and unstoppable learner. And I’ve been lucky to have grown up in a family that would always encourage that love. One of my hobbies that brings me the most joy in life is reading new books on subjects I’m learning, and that’s a habit instilled by my parents. Whether it’s through reading, or research related to my field, a desire for learning is the core of who I am.In high school a big part of my experience revolved around the Academic Decathlon which reinforced my eclectic interests in varied subjects like history, economics, science, and technology. Being a part of this class/club was not only a great introduction to a competitive academic world, but also provided networking benefits that would bring opportunities later in life.I began working in the food service industry and continued a path toward management for a few years after graduating. Then an opportunity to move across the country for manufacturing work was presented to me by colleagues from the Decathlon. This change allowed me to not only establish myself in a new environment, and learn by adapting, but also allowed me to diversify my skill set by changing industries.The new career immediately began laying the groundwork for the phase of my life that would follow it in turn. I was making more money ever had and enough so to consider a subject that had always fascinated me: the stock market. Soon my largest hobby outside of work became pouring through the financial statements of major companies and analyzing economic data.Finally with a sense of purpose to funnel my wide array of my interests, I returned to school while working full time. I have pursued finance and took knowledge that had been auto-didactic before, and concretized it. I’ve become confident enough in my skills that I created a portfolio of my analysis work on YouTube by making videos & livestreaming the results of my investment research, including the performance of my own funds.I moved back to Arizona, completed my Associates degree, and worked to finish my Bachelor’s degree full time at Arizona State University. I also intend to pursue a full gamut of financial licensure including the CFP, CFA, Series 6, and Series 7 certifications.My interests are as varied as they were in childhood; I can see myself doing many things with my degree. Whether I work in finance for a fortune 500 company, manage strategies for a hedge fund, or build a personal brand for financial consulting services; I’m keeping my options open.