When Will McPhail ’27 found his community at Clemson University, he set out to create opportunities for others. A financial management and marketing double major from Stow, Massachusetts, Will has invested in the people and organizations around him through mentorship and stepping into leadership roles. His approach is grounded in a simple principle: add value wherever he can.
“The more you get involved, the more you’re going to meet people and make connections and make friends that could last a lifetime,” Will says. “It’s just going to open more doors.”
Building a foundation
Will joined the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business’ J. Daniel and Nancy Garrison Sales Innovation Program (SIP) in his first semester and soon became a recruiter and member of the Sales Competition Team. He also competed in SIP’s Elevator Pitch Showdown, presenting himself as a candidate to partner companies. After being eliminated twice in the first round, Will sought advice from a former student winner and went on to win the competition in Spring 2025.
“That taught me a lot about resilience and using your resources,” he says.
Through SIP, Will has fostered relationships with faculty mentors, including principal lecturer Carter McElveen and lecturer David Sturkey. He credits McElveen with helping him secure a sales internship at TD SYNNEX the summer before his junior year.
“Professionally, there are people at Clemson who are willing to go to bat for you. The Clemson Family really is important, and it can genuinely be life-changing.”
Will McPhail ’27
The skills Will refined through SIP carried over to his internship this summer at BlackRock, a leading asset management firm. Each week, he designed a sample investment portfolio and pitched it to industry professionals, demonstrating the adaptability and quick thinking he’s developed through practice.
“Delivering and answering questions on the fly — that’s where I think SIP really set me up for success,” he says. “Through SIP, I’ve been put in situations like that before.”
Making opportunities count
For Will, leadership at Clemson has meant bringing out the best in others. He’s applied the principles learned through the Thomas F. Chapman Leadership Scholars Program as a peer coach for the Sales Competition Team and as the president of the Clemson chapter of Scholars of Finance, a national organization for aspiring finance leaders.
Will spearheaded recruitment efforts for Scholars of Finance, doubling its membership in one semester, and planned the organization’s first-ever industry trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, in Spring 2026. After seeing the benefits of an industry trip he took to New York City, Will wanted to give other students the same opportunity. Fifteen students visited Bank of America and Morgan Stanley and met with alumni working there. Afterward, one student told Will that the experience made him realize that he was more interested in studying investment banking than wealth management.
“To have someone walk up to you and say, ‘This changed the trajectory of my Clemson Experience’ was incredibly impactful, and that’s the whole reason I put together the trip,” Will says.
Paying it forward
At Clemson, Will achieved his goals while helping others meet theirs. He’ll approach his finance career with that same commitment as he creates pathways to help others succeed. The internship at BlackRock reinforced Will’s interest in wealth or asset management and gave him a deeper appreciation of the responsibility the field requires.
“I have a lot more to learn, but I am very confident that, eventually, I will be able to help make a difference in people’s financial lives,” he says. “It’s a huge responsibility when someone’s giving you their financial resources, but it’s something I’m passionate about because I know I can serve them well.”
Now, as a senior, Will wants to continue supporting younger students who are navigating the same experiences he once did. As a Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business recruitment ambassador, he gives tours of the business school to prospective students, highlighting the resources that have enriched his time at Clemson. And he’s happy to offer guidance to his peers as they determine their next steps.
“I’m constantly meeting with students, hopefully making an impact,” he says. “When I think of my Clemson Experience, I hope that’s the legacy I’m able to leave — that I made an impact in the process and made a difference here.”
